


No Man's Land

by Codaram



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-05-31 16:41:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6477913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codaram/pseuds/Codaram
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Urban or not, the jungle's always been a dangerous place. Dirty cops, corrupt politicians, and old grudges threaten to irreparably damage the ecosystem, and the resulting unrest forces Judy and Nick to reevaluate their relationship, and their place in the food chain. After all, a city where anyone can be anything isn't always a good thing. JudyxNick (Epic length, Mature rating for themes, nothing explicit)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Case

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what these notes are, yet. This is my first post on AO3.
> 
> Whatever they are, I hope you like this first chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time posting here at AO3, but certainly not my first time writing fanfiction. I might be a little rusty, but I hope you enjoy!

 

“Flash, Flash, Hundred-Yard Dash!” 

The sloth’s expression shifted from shock to smirk. “Nick!” he droned. “You’re….with...the Z...P...D... now?”

“First day on the force,” Nick said, showing off his badge. “You know, I always said you were the fastest guy at the DMV, but this is a little bit more than what I had in mind! What’s the rush, buddy?”

“Well….I can….explain. It’s… a bit….of...a long...story.”

Judy stuck out her paw. “And I’m sure Officer Wilde would just _love_ to hear about it. In the meantime, license and registration please.”

“Hey come on Fluff, don’t leave me here,” Nick whispered, as Judy reached through the window, snatching away Flash’s papers.

“What was it you told me? ‘Hang in there’?” Judy said with a smirk. She made her way back to the squad car before Nick could protest any further, and ran Flash’s license through the computer. Turns out, Flash had a sizeable list of past traffic offenses. As Judy scrolled down, she spied everything from running red lights to parking in emergency lanes. She was trying to find the most recent violations when Nick appeared in the window.

“Oh, had enough already?” she asked playfully.

“I told him you were showing me how to use all this stuff,” Nick replied. “Being a rookie has its perks if you know where to find them. What’s the damage?”

Judy turned the screen towards him. Nick eyes and grin widened.

“You know, the irony is almost too much to stomach. Almost,” he said.

“He could have seriously hurt someone,” Judy said. “I don’t like how calm he is about all this.”

“I’m sure he would have started to apologize if we had given him another forty-five minutes uninterrupted.”

“He’s still getting a ticket,” Judy said. “The fines need to be enough to remind him to be more careful.”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “Then let’s just hope he’s not a slow learner. Deck’s stacked against him, though.”

He put back on his sunglasses and strode to the other side of the car, hopping in and propping his feet on the dash. It struck Judy as impressive than even dressed in uniform, Nick could look sloppy when he wanted to.

“Anyway, I’ll let you finish up here,” he said, picking at his teeth.

“I thought the rookie was supposed to do all the work?” Judy teased.

“I’ll defer to your legendary expertise when it comes to writing tickets, Fluff. Besides, it just might be a little weird getting a citation from a friend.”

Judy rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. Laziness aside, she could understand that Nick had a history with Flash, and if she could help him avoid making things weird, so be it. With the ticket printed, she hopped out of the squad car and returned to Flash’s window.

She pointed to a line near the bottom with her carrot pen. “I’m going to have to issue you a citation today, sir. Signing here is not an admission of guilt, but that you understand the information that has been presented to you. You’ll find all necessary information, including your court date.”

Flash nodded slowly, reaching for the pen. “Of….course. I….understand. Thank you...and...have-”

“A nice day?” asked Judy.

“A...wonderful….day. And tell...Nick….good luck.”

Judy’s stood there lips pursed and ears twitching as Flash scraped the pen across the page; he might as well have been carving his name in stone. Finally, with a leisurely flourish, he handed the pen back, and Judy silently celebrated that he had no t’s to cross or i’s to dot.

“Please, sir,” she said, “Take care to drive safely in the future. You avoided arrest because thankfully no one was injured, but you won’t get a second chance. Is that clear?”

“Clear...as...crystal.” said Flash.

“Good!” Judy turned to leave.

“Oh...before...I...forget,” Flash started again, looking out the window. “I….heard...a great….joke...the….other….day.”

Judy took a step back. “Oh, I wish I could, but we _really_ need to get going.”

“Want…”

“Sorry, but no.”

“to…”

“No, no thank you.”

“hear it?”

By now Judy was back at the squad car, cupping her paws around her mouth. “Some other time, maybe! No, not right now. No.”

With a sigh of relief, she opened the driver side door. Nick was holding the radio when jumped back into the squad car. “I was just telling the Chief that our streetracer has been ‘shut down’, as per his exact instructions. Not bad for my first day, right?”

Chief Bogo’s gruff tones almost sounded amused. “Hopps, is every assignment I give you two going to be solved in record time? You’re going to put the rest of the force out of work.”

Judy glanced sheepishly at Nick. “Sorry, sir, although I’d chalk this one up to luck.”

“It’s those feet of hers, Chief,” Nick chimed in. “Like a pair of fluffy, four-leaf clovers.”

“I don’t care what part of her is lucky. Patrol Savanna Central for the rest of the morning. I’ll have another assignment for you at lunch. Good work you two.”

Nick put the radio back. “Is he always that personable when he says thank you?”

“Don’t complain. He sounds like a teddy bear compared to when I first started,” Judy said.

“I guess I just have that effect on people. I bring people together.”

Judy smirked. “Yeah, thick as thieves, you mean.”

“Oh, ha ha, Carrots. Just start the car.”

* * *

 

The streets of Savanna Central glowed in the midmorning air, drenched in orange light. A pair of giraffes were repainting the side of an apartment complex, reaching from the bottom floor the third in huge, smooth strokes. A gazelle leaned out the window to shake a rug, and apologized profusely when she ended up raining dust and fur down on them. A beaver and raccoon were arguing over the placement of each other’s trash cans, but as Judy and Nick slowed down, they went their separate ways, content to glare at one another from the windows. As they rounded the next corner, the scent of pastries wafted heavily through the open windows, and Nick’s eyes glazed dreamily. He licked his lips, looking for the source, a cafe just another block down the street.

“You think the Chief would mind if we stopped for a snack? I’ve had donuts on my mind all morning, ever since Clawhauser was squirreling them away in all of his chins before we left.”

“What about your pawpsicle?” Judy asked.

“If you’ve already forgotten, it tastes like my eye socket.”

“Yeah, I’d want to throw it away too.”

Nick turned his nose up. “Please Officer Hopps, donuts first, petty arguments later.”

Judy stifled a laugh, and followed her nose. A little snack wouldn’t hurt.

The cafe was very busy, as they struggled to cope with the breakfast rush. Animals in suits and pajamas alike rubbed sleepy eyes as they waited their turn. She parked the car and the two of them walked inside, passing a bear with a bearclaw in her claws. The shop was small but well-maintained, although Nick narrowly avoided stepping in strawberry filling, catching himself on a chair. A few of the patrons turned to see, and glances turned to stares.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve never seen this before?” Nick asked a pig sitting nearby.

“You’re a cop?” the pig asked. “You?”

“Yeah, why?” Nick raised an eyebrow.

 Judy smelled trouble. She waved. “Yes, hello! This is my partner, Officer Wilde. He’s just another one of Zootopia’s finest! There isn’t anything I can help you with, is there sir?”

The pig grunted, shook his head, and turned back to his coffee, but not before shooting Nick one last curious glance. Nick shrugged, and began scanning the menu.

By the time they reached the counter, the bunny manning the register looked ready to burst with excitement. “You’re Officer Hopps!” she exclaimed.

Judy smiled. “Y-yes, that’s me! Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s wonderful. Officer Hopps, I just wanted to say that I’m a big fan. You’re such an inspiration to us rabbits everywhere. You do our species proud!”

“Careful, she’ll let it go to her head,” Nick teased, putting his elbows on the counter.

Oh, are you her partner?” The rabbit asked. “You’re so lucky, working with the a hero of the city.”

Judy waved the compliment off. “Please, ma’am, I was just doing my duty. But I’m glad you made sure Officer Wilde didn’t forget.”

Nick ignored her. “So, speaking of duty, how’s about a half-dozen glazed for our best bunny in blue?”

“Of course!” the rabbit exclaimed, and leapt into the kitchen. Minutes later she reappeared with piping hot donuts, wrapped in wax paper and boxed. She shook her head when Judy reached for her wallet.

“Please, it’s my treat. You two deserve a little thank-you for all you’ve done for us.”

Nick rubbed his paws together. “I think we found our new watering hole. Darling, you think I could get a couple of blueberry donuts as well, to go?”

He was already ravaging one of them before they reached the car. “If your popularity is gonna net us free food, you really ought to consider a career in daytime television.

Judy smiled. “Like you’d last five minutes without me.”

When Judy and Nick arrived at the ZPD to meet with Chief Bogo, the lobby was buzzing with activity. Dozens of smaller animals stood in several short lines behind tables pushed against a wall. Weasels, badgers, an armadillo, a pair of mice, and even several rabbits filled out forms, handing them to the officers seated nearby. Clawhauser was sneaking a peek every few seconds from behind the front desk, his tail swishing with curiosity.

“What’s going on?” Judy asked.

“It’s adorable,” squealed Clawhauser. “You two have made _quite_ the splash. First a bunny, then a fox...who knows what’s coming next!”

Judy’s ears perked up in excitement. “They all want to join the ZPD? 

“Well, not _all_ of them. There have been a couple applications I hear, but most are signing up for civilian detail. Neighborhood watches, community outreach programs, stuff like that.”

“That’s great news!” said Judy. “The more the merrier. Is the Chief in?”

Clawhauser pointed upstairs. “He just got back to his office. I’ll let him know you’re coming!”

A couple of the animals waiting in line spied Judy and Nick and began whispering amongst themselves. He hid it well, but Judy noticed Nick standing a little straighter, puffing out his chest.

“Looking for some groupies?” she asked, as they climbed the stairs towards Bogo’s office.

Nick said nothing, but when they reached the top floor, he moved to the railing, leaning out and watching the lines. His usually aloof expression had given way to something a little softer, more genuine. Judy, in turn, watched him. He wouldn’t openly admit it, but it obvious he was keeping his uniform immaculate. There were lots of tiny moments she’d catch him in the corner of her eye or through the mirror, brushing away creases and picking away as many hairs as he could find. There was hope behind those moments, hope the future would be as well-kept as the uniform.

She let him have his silence, but she spied Bogo opening the door from down the hallway, motioning for them to come in. She tapped Nick on the shoulder.

“Come on, the Chief’s ready for us,” she said brightly.

Nick offered one last glance behind him, before following Judy inside.

Bogo, stone-faced as always, directed them to sit before crossing the room to his desk, which was cluttered with high stacks of paperwork on either end. He pushed what little he could aside, leaning back in his chair. The shades were drawn, striping his skin with bars of bright light.

“There are some sandwiches downstairs if you two are hungry,” he said.

Nick patted his stomach. “No thanks, sir. We had a big breakfast of cop cliches.”

Bogo looked unamused. He sat quietly and waited.

“Donuts. T-they were...donuts. Sir.”

The Chief turned to Judy. “I assume you kept yourself busy the rest of the morning?”

Judy nodded. “Yes sir. A few civil disputes mediated; Some kids playing hooky-”

“Kids? Children, or goats?”

“Technically both,” said Nick.

“We also responded to a noise complaint,” Judy finished. “A family of wolves were disturbing their neighbors. Too much howling.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Timber wolves,” he muttered.

Bogo snorted with approval. He turned around and grabbed a file behind him, handing it to Judy. “Good. Then here’s your next assignment.”

Judy glanced at all the other paperwork scattered around the office. “Trying to lighten the load, sir? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your office this messy.”

“No, Hopps. This ‘mess’ is unrelated, and none of your concern right now. Focus on what’s in front of you.”

Judy opened the file in her lap, and Nick leaned over to read. Clipped to the first paper was a picture of a wolverine, with a swollen eye and several gashes running down his cheek. Several others showed damage to a home and small business, both part of a small building on the outskirts of Tundratown.

“His name is Boris Howlett. That wolverine and his family have been enduring systemic harassment for weeks,” Bogo explained, putting on his glasses. “His home and business have been vandalized, his wife and children accosted in the streets. It was only until he was physically assaulted that he filed a report with us. It took him three days to work up the courage.”

“That’s terrible,” Judy said. Despite wolverines’ usually ferocious disposition, Boris looked more disheveled and nervous.

“Do you want us to find who did it?” Nick asked.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if you did,” said Bogo. “But that’s not why I’m sending the pair of you.”

The Chief turned in his chair, staring at the map pinned to the wall. “When you two caught Bellwether, you put a band-aid on what was and is a gaping wound. I’m not trying to make your efforts seem smaller than they were; rather it’s that the problem is far larger than we realize. Mistrust between predator and prey, even amongst species, is growing. They’re falling back on old grudges. That’s not something you can make disappear with a fine or night in jail.”

He took note of their nervous expressions. “Whether you like it or not, you two are in a unique position to exemplify the values under which the ZPD conducts themselves. Predator and prey, both the first of their species with noted public service to the city, working together. You’ll be far more effective than any of the other teams under my command.”

“Of course sir, we understand,” said Judy.

She turned to Nick, who had taken the file from her and was thumbing through it. His tail swished nervously.

“Yeah Chief,” he said finally. “We’ll put a lid on this the best we can.”

Bogo nodded. “Good. You two are going to be very busy these next few months. We all will. I want a report on my desk by the end of the day, whatever happens with Howlett.”

“Yes sir,” Judy and Nick replied, in unison. They slipped off their chairs, and hurried out the door.

* * *

 

Nick insisted he drive to Howlett’s, having argued Judy hogged the wheel all morning. She warmed her paws with the exhaust vent near the door, watching heavy clouds roll in from above. They cast great shadows, mottling the deep blues and violets of the city below in shades of ash and silver. The lamplights flickered to life, dotting the streets with frosted globes of light. Judy let a dreamy sigh slip out.

“You think it’ll start snowing?” she asked. “We never got a lot in Bunnyburrow, and I never get tired of it.”

"That’s easy to say when you can drive a half-hour and get out of the cold. I don’t know if I’d want to live here,” said Nick.

“Not a fan?"

“I wasn’t exactly welcome in this part of town for a while until you came along, Carrots,” he reminded. “Guess I’m still a little wary. I see polar bears in my sleep, you know.”

“Oh, _sure_ you do,” said Judy.

She pressed her face against the glass. “I think it’s beautiful. It looks so...so innocent, I guess? Does that make sense? It all feels clean.”

Nick stole a peek out his own window. “I’ll give you that.”

“Yeah, because _you_ of all animals don’t like getting your paws dirty."

“Ha ha, Fluff. Are we almost there?”

Judy checked the address. “Just about. It’s the next right.”

They rounded the corner as several snowballs pelted their windshield. Nick swerved in surprise, nearly hitting a streetlamp. Judy reached over and flashed their spotlight, before rolling down her window.

“Stop right there!” she called, at several figures bundled tightly together. Heavy coats and scarves hid their faces, and they leapt onto scooters, racing down the closest alleyway. Nick sped up, but as Judy climbed onto him (and nearly out the window) to follow, they saw nothing but a dead end and an empty alley.

“Would you mind getting your arm off my throat?” Nick asked, pressed against his seat.

Judy’s ears turned from side to side, listening for the smallest sound. “Sorry. Where’d they go?”

“Does it matter? A couple of rowdy kids aren’t what we’re here for.”

She watched the alley for a moment longer. “Yeah, okay. You’re right. I’ll grab our coats.”

As Nick parked the car, Judy climbed into the backseat to grab their cold weather gear, two thick navy coats and pairs of black gloves. They bundled up and stepped outside. Even in the dim light, the damage to Howlett’s home and business were easy to point out. His mailbox had been smashed, several windows were broken, and trash littered the snow nearby. The most brazen display, however, was the word ‘savage’ crudely painted in red across his front door.

Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets. “Guess some mammals don’t watch the news.”

Judy knocked on Howlett’s door, her breath hovering in front of her. They heard muffled sounds on the other side of the door, and it burst open, with a wolverine brandishing a bat.

Boris scratched the back of his head. “Oh, sorry Officers. I thought that-”

“You don’t have to apologize, Mr. Howlett,” Judy assured. “You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. May we come in?”

“Of course. Mind the step.”

The wolverine’s home blanketed them in warmth, and a fire heralded their arrival with a loud pop, scattering embers onto an old rug on the living room floor. Wooden planks lay in several stacks underneath the windows, presumably to board them up, and all the lights were off save for a tiny lamp sitting on a reading desk.

“My wife and children are with friends,” Boris said, gesturing for them to sit.

Nick chose a plum-colored easy chair. “Has it gotten that bad?” he asked.

“No, but it makes things a little easier if they think we’re not home. It’s also why I haven’t painted over that slur you saw outside,” said Boris. His voice was soft, raspy. It rumbled in his broad chest. He took his own seat, a little wooden stool, and stuffed the bat he had been carrying behind a bookshelf.

“How come you’re still here?” Judy asked.

Boris pointed to the bat. “This is still my home. I’ll not let anyone destroy it, or scare me away.”

He stared at the both of them, furrowing his brow. “I know the two of you. You’re Hopps, aren’t you. The one all over the news.”

Judy nodded.

Boris turned to Nick. “And you’re the fox that helped her. But you wasn’t a cop at the time.”

“Just a concerned citizen,” Nick said, with a small grin.

Boris snorted. “You two seem like the only concerned citizens I’ve come across these last few weeks. They still call me friend, sure, but they look at me different. Don’t want to get themselves involved, they say. Cowards, I say. They shouldn’t sit idly by and do nothing.”

“Sir, you can’t expect average citizens to take the law into their own hands.”

“I’m not talking about vigilantism, rabbit. I mean a sense of a community, a show of strength. A message that says ‘we don’t cower in fear of one another’. I’m no savage.” Boris pointed at Nick. “You know what I mean. We’re on the same side of that coin. I know what people think of foxes. My first boss was an arctic fox. Shifty, they says you all are. He was fine enough.”

He leaned against the wall, and stared at the ceiling. “I know why the ZPD sent you two here. For the record, I think it’s a good idea. You two make for a pretty picture.”

“Sir, is there anything we can help you with?” Judy asked. “I’m sure you didn’t forget, but you called us out here for a reason. Is there anything you can tell us about who’s been vandalizing your property? Who assaulted you?" 

“If I had anything worth saying, I would have told you already.” Boris ran his fingers along the gashes in his fur. “They covered themselves up good. I couldn’t see any of their faces, and it’s hard to recognize a voice when you’re getting stomped on. They were all sizes, too. Half my height and as big a polar bear.”

“Do you know why you have been singled out?” asked Judy.

“We wolverines had a reputation for being particularly bad-natured and violent towards prey. Me, I run a computer repair shop, but that doesn’t seem to be changing any minds.”

“And when did you first realize these weren’t isolated incidents?”

Boris thought for a moment. “Maybe last week. I was manning the register when a rock came flying through my window. Scared my wife to pieces, but when I ran outside there wasn’t anyone there. They must have gone down that alley next to my shop; it’s out of sight of any of the traffic cameras.”

Judy’s ears perked up. “Traffic cameras? You think any of them might have been caught on camera?

Nick, who had been jotting down notes, pointed his pen at Judy. “I’ll bet you if they worked once before…”

Judy nodded. “Right. Sir, we’ll examine all cameras in the immediate area, and recover any relevant footage from that we can. With luck, we can pull some addresses depending on if they show up close to your shop on any of the dates they were vandalized. But are there any other leads we can follow? Any mammals who might hold a grudge against you?”

Boris simply chuckled and rubbed his eyes. “I can think of a little shrew who might have reason to send a few goons my way.”

Judy and Nick shared a look. If Mr. Big was involved, Bogo’s choice to give them the case might not have been a good idea.

“Sir, are you referring to the crime boss known as Mr. Big?”

“That’s him.”

Nick slumped in his chair. “That’s just fantastic. I should have stuck to pawpsicles.”

Judy leaned forward in her seat. “Sir, what does Mr. Big have to do with you? Were you ever business associates? Have you been involved in any of his enterprises?”

The wolverine frowned. “No, and that’s the problem. He’s offered me several partnerships over the years, all of them legitimate. But I’ve refused every time. I don’t work with criminals.”

Nick waggled his eyebrows at Judy. “That’s a wise policy to have.”

Judy rolled her eyes. She wasn’t about to tell Mr. Howlett about their previous history with the shrew, regardless of the help he had been. She stood from her chair, and offered her paw to Boris, shaking it firmly.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Howlett. We’ll start looking into these leads as soon as we can, and I’ll make sure additional patrols are scheduled past your home over the next few weeks. I’m also going to give you my personal number. If you ever need me or Officer Wilde, we’ll be there. In the meantime, keep yourself safe.”

Boris looked calmly defiant on his stool, his expression weary, but resolute. “I’m not scared, Officer Hopps. For the sake of all my kind, I can’t be.”

The very moment they stepped back outside, Nick threw his paws into the air, anxious little puffs of breath hopping in front of his face. “Of course, of _course_ Mr. Big was going to be involved somehow! I’ve just gotten back in his good graces, Carrots. He doesn’t give many second chances, not when it’s easier to chuck them in an ice flow and call it a day.”

Judy patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Calm down, Nick. We don’t even know if Mr. Big is actually part of all this. It could just be a dead end.” She held up her foot. “These are lucky, remember? You and I are going to be fine. We’ll get in touch with him and schedule a meeting, just to talk. This doesn’t feel like something he’d involve himself in.”

That seemed to help Nick relax. He straightened his uniform, shoving his paws into his pockets. “Yeah. You’re right, yeah. I’m probably just worried over nothing.”

He shivered as a flake of snow settled on his nose. He blew it upwards, and watched the hundreds of overs beginning to fall.

“Looks like you got your snowfall. Hey, can you make a double-sided snow angel? You know, because of the ears?”

Judy giggled. “That’s the Officer Wilde I know.”

“Did you say _Officer_ Wilde?”

A caribou was a little further down the street, carrying shopping bags and an infant slung over her back. she was staring at Nick, with an expression that reminded Judy of earlier in the morning, in the donut shop.

“You’re a cop?” The caribou asked. “You? A fox?”

Nick’s smile had vanished. “You’re the second animal to ask me that today. If there’s something you want to say, reindeer, go ahead, but don’t blame me if you get arrested for it.”

The caribou snorted loudly. “Wouldn’t surprise me a bit! Why’d they let a shifty rodent like you on the force? The ZPD have a quota on dirty cops they need to fill?”

Judy jumped in front of Nick, her ears back. “Watch your mouth, _ma’am_. Nick is a good officer.”

She didn’t seem convinced, shaking her hoof at the both of them. “You’re all corrupt! That sheep had cops breaking the law for her, why should that change now? You should all be fired!”

The caribou walked away, grumbling to himself. Judy felt her paws shaking, clenched into fists. she hadn’t broken the law, but Judy almost wished she had. Anything would have been better than just standing there and let Nick take it. She stomped her foot angrily in the snow.

“Who does that jerk think she is!?” she angrily. “Nick, don’t listen to her.”

Nick offered a weak smile. “It’s okay, Carrots. I know you believe in me.”

He stayed outside for a moment longer, watching the snow as Judy started the car. What had just been a gentle dusting looked ready to turn into a blizzard. He shivered in the cold.

“It’s just everyone else I’m worried about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait to see where this goes! I hope I wrote everyone accurate to their personality, and that it's good enough for everyone to want to see where this rabbit hole leads, haha.


	2. Down Below

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I'm really excited to hear that people are liking it so far! I've started drafting the rest of the story, and I promise you we're in for a long, hopefully exciting journey.

Judy awoke with a start, breathless.

It was nearly 4:30 in the morning. She groaned; there wasn’t enough time to roll over and try to get back to sleep, so she swung her legs off the bed, resting her elbows on her knees. A bead of sweat rolled down the bridge of her nose, tickling her whiskers. She shook it off, and watched it fall to the floor.

The sheets beneath her felt damp, and she briefly worried there’d be an accident before she realized it was only more sweat. It clung to her paw, and she groaned again. She’d have to find time to do laundry.

Her window rattled as a delivery truck drove past, and she opened the window for some fresh air, jumping up to rest against the frame. She took a few deep breaths, relishing the crisp nighttime air.

Judy didn’t have many dreams. Bunking alongside several hundred of your brothers and sisters granted very little opportunity for an uninterrupted, full night’s sleep unless you lived alone or snored like a grizzly bear. Now that Judy had the former, they were a little hard to get used to, especially those that were particularly vivid, like this one. She was nothing but prey, driven by instinct and paranoia. Huge branches hung overhead, weaving thick threads of black across the forest floor, and she cautiously made her way through dense underbrush, nibbling here and there. But then there came a sound, a snap of a twig, and the fox was bounding after her. She raced blindly forward, desperate to outrun him, her tiny heart beating like thunder. She leapt into the carcass of an oak, shriveling against the hollow stump and hiding in its shadow.

The fox burst through the bushes, searching wildly. His eyes met hers in the darkness of the oak, but instead of hunger or savagery, she saw the same, overwhelming fear. He was being hunted, and whatever it was, it screamed in the night, and attacked. Judy woke before she saw what it was, and as she sat on her windowsill, she was grateful for the sounds of the city that could drown out that screaming shadow. A dump truck was music to her ears.

She thought of Nick as the fox in her dream. Had he ever felt like that, navigating a city where he was distrusted by both prey and fellow predators? Judy hated the idea that he had dealt with it alone for so long, and she was sure he hadn’t taken yesterday well even if he didn’t show it. It made her angry all over again, hearing the suspicion and doubt in their voices as they demanded to know what Nick was doing in a uniform.

_ ‘Serving your city, you idiots,’ _ she thought.

She opened her phone. Nick wanted a picture of the two of them on their first day as partners, and she smiled to herself seeing his barely contained excitement on the screen. That same, half-lidded look he usually sported, but with an ear-to-ear smile. 

Her legs ached, straddling the windowsill, and she felt the sudden urge to go for a run. Rabbits could get cranky if they didn’t have opportunities to stretch their legs, and if she wasn’t going to get anymore sleep, there wasn’t much she could do just sitting around waiting for sunrise. With one more gulp of fresh air, Judy grabbed a hoodie and, careful to make as little noise as possible, creeped out of her apartment and down the hallway.

There was a feeling of liberation being outside when most of the city slept on. The roar of crowds and businesses gave way to the hum of streetlights and the occasional passing truck, and when she slipped in her earbuds, everything fell away into a pounding bassline. It didn’t matter what direction she took, so long as she put one foot in front of the other, following the beat.

As she reached the open air of the central square, seeing the ZPD and city hall lit up, her mind wandered to the mess on Bogo’s desk, despite his warning to ignore it. What most mammals took from the Chief was his sternness, stone-faced and menacing. But he was elevated to his position namely because of his ruthless efficiency. He demanded no less than the best from every officer under his command, doubly so for himself. Paperwork was boring, to be sure, but Bogo never fell behind, and so whatever was being dumped into his lap must be serious. Judy made a mental note to offer her help, even if she was rudely rebuffed. Just because Bogo lead the precinct doesn’t mean he can’t have help.

A surge of adrenaline took Judy down a maze of tightly-wound alleyways, and she was nearly side-swiped by a scooter carrying the morning’s newspapers. She leapt clear over the scooter and it’s driver, landing on an a/c unit mounted in the frame of a first floor window. From there, she hopped over the fence, before the paperboy even had a chance to realize what had happened.

She saw the spray can first, billowing red paint onto the side of a brick wall. She saw the rodents next, stacked on top of one another for support, and their tiny eyes wide with shock. She saw the word ‘Savage’ last, scrawled in tiny letters onto the building.

“Scatter!” said a mouse, heaving the spray can over his shoulders and into a nearby trashcan. He jumped to the ground, and darted into the shadows.

The other three scrambled, looking for a place to hide. One ran under Judy’s legs, squeezing through the fence she had jumped, while another pushed a loose brick out of the way, diving into the frame of the building. The last, the largest of the three, had wedged himself in a storm drain, his legs kicking in the air.

“Let me go!” he squealed, as Judy yanked him from the drain. The color drained from his face as she lifted him into the air by his collar, bringing them eye to eye. He was young, no older than nine.

“Vandalizing private property is a misdemeanor,” she said.

“What’s it to you!?” said the mouse. “You’re not a cop...a-are you?”

“I may not have my uniform on, but I don’t need that to bring you to the station, do I?”

By now the mouse was shaking in earnest, and Judy set him down on the lid of a trash can before he fell out of her paw.

“You don’t have to worry about predators going savage,” Judy said. “Everything was uncovered, remember? Bellwether was intentionally targeting them to divide the city. Predators don’t just randomly go savage.”

“That’s why she was only getting predators!” insisted the mouse. “Because they’re the only ones that can go savage. That stuff wouldn’t have worked on them without it.”

“No,” said Judy, “that’s wrong. They only went savage  _ because _ of the Nighthowlers. It was a drug, not biology.”

“How do you know??”

“Because I was there,” Judy said, angrily. She put her hands on her hips, and let the little mouse look her up and down.

“Y-you’re the bunny cop?” the mouse asked.

“Do you know of any other bunny cops in this city?” Judy shot back.

To her surprise, the little mouse sat down, sniffling. He wouldn’t meet her gaze anymore, and rubbed his eyes.

“I’m sorry…” he said. “T-they told me if I w-wanted to hang out with them I had t-to help…”

Judy sighed. She held out her hand, letting the mouse climb into it, and set him gently on the ground. “You know deep down that this is wrong, don’t you? Predators are just animals want to live peacefully, like the rest of us. Has a predator ever hurt you?”

“Well, no, but-”

Judy hushed him with a pointed finger. “No buts,” she said, getting down onto one knee. Her expression softened. “I know how you feel. I made the same mistake once, and almost lost a close friend, who just so happens to be a predator and my partner. He’s fighting to prove to this city that fear won’t tear us apart, and I need you promise me you will as well.”

The mouse nodded meekly. “Okay...I’ll t-try.”

“Good. I’ll let you off with a warning this time, but I’m coming back to this spot tomorrow, and I want the graffiti gone, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Judy smiled. “That’s good to hear. Now, let me take you home. If you’re lucky, your mom won’t know what you’ve been up to.”

After taking the mouse to his home in Little Rodentia (which was thankfully right by the side of the fence), Judy had just enough time to race back home for a shower before her alarm clock began blaring, and she’d have to explain to some noisy, nosy neighbors what had happened.

Nick was waiting for her outside the ZPD, with a warm smile and two cups of coffee. He offered one to her.

“Something tells me you had a rough night,” he teased.

Judy accepted the coffee gratefully, taking a few tentative sips. “More like rough morning. Am I that obvious?”

“Well, your fluffy little tail is still stuck in your pants, so you tell me.”

Judy almost threw the coffee in Nick’s face in her hurry to get it out of her hands. She corrected her mistake as discreetly as possible, begging that no one else saw.

“I should have just gone back to bed,” she said, mortified. “Please tell me you had a better morning than I did so I can live through you for the next five minutes.”

“Well here I am, on my way to the station, taking my usual shortcut through the back alleys and grimy side streets of our fair city, when lo and behold I come across a little mouse, cleaning up some offensive graffiti.”

He handed Judy back her coffee, smirking. “I couldn’t make out what he had written, but that poor little mouse must have had quite the talking to. Gosh, I wonder who could have said something? You sure do know how to make this city feel small, Carrots.”

Judy shrugged. “I c-couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d go for a run, and there they were. I don’t think they really knew what they were doing. Maybe their parents taught them that, but that kind of makes it worse, doesn’t it.”

She sighed. “Of all the mammals to see that...why couldn’t you have taken the scenic route?”

“Don’t beat yourself up, partner. You stuck your neck out for me when no one was watching, and that’s got to count for something.” Nick opened the door for them both, smiling warmly. “Come on. The sun’s in my eyes.”

Officers Grizzoli and Delgato were crowding Clawhauser’s desk as they attempted to get him to weigh in on who had the biggest claws. Delgato was unceremoniously showing off his middle one. “King of the Jungle? Feh! You don’t even live in the jungle,” he said. “Look at long these beauties are. Sometimes I frighten myself in mirror if I look at them too long.”

Grizzoli snorted. “I’m not surprised you scare yourself, ‘fraidy cat. Now here are some  _ real _ claws. I could shave a rhino’s horn with these babies.”

They both turned to Clawhauser, shoving their paws in his face. “Clawhauser, what do you think?” they said in unison.

The chubby cheetah looked at his own paws in embarrassment, and put them up in surrender. “Hey, come on guys, we’re all on team big cat here! There’s no need to argue. Especially not when you’re gonna drag me in the middle of it. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

Delgato rolled his eyes, noticing Nick and Judy in the corner of his eye. He waggled his fingers. “What about you two? Care to weigh in?”

“We both know who they’ll choose,” said Grizzoli.

“It’s not the size that matters,” said Judy, “but how you use them.”

All three cats snickered.

“Oh sure, you’re right. Like a fox’s, for example,” Grizzoli said.

“Assuming he’s ever used 'them',” Delgato agreed.

Judy nudged Nick with her elbow as they headed towards the bullpen, chuckling. “Any idea what they’re talking about?” she asked.

Nick coughed. “Not a clue.”

Clawhauser looked towards the door, waving brightly. “Oh, good morning, Chief! I was worried you were sick or something.”

“Had an errand to run,” said Bogo, stomping towards the front desk. “Hopps, Wilde, head into the pen. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Let’s go warm up our seat,” Nick said.

Delgato and Grizzoli were watching the door when they walked in the bullpen, and few of the other officers shared looks between themselves as the pair took their seat. Judy’s ears twitched nervously. She leaned over to ask Nick if he knew what was going on, but Bogo’s entrance riled up the other officers.

“Settle down everyone,” he said, taking the podium. “Now, before we begin, I want to take a moment to remind everyone to conduct themselves professionally at all times. The ZPD is under constant scrutiny, and I’m sure my officers don’t want me breathing down their necks.” A low chuckle spread through the pen, and Bogo put on his classes, rifling through the day’s files.

“Officers Grizzoli, Delgato, Fangmeyer, your teams take the Rainforest District. Higgins, Snarlof, the break-ins at Sahara Square. Trunkaby, Wolford, McHorn, bundle up; you’re spending the day in Tundratown. I want extra patrols by the Howlett residence, and keep in contact with Officers Hopps and Wilde if something springs up.”

One by one the officers collected their files and left, leaving only Judy and Nick. “Are we always last because you’ll miss us most, Chief?” Nick asked.

“It’s a matter of seniority, Wilde,” said Bogo. “I don’t play favorites. But speaking of, I read in your report that you gave Howlett your personal numbers.”

Judy nodded. “Yes sir. In case he needed to reach us.”

“I understand that, but you cannot guarantee him priority, Hopps. You report to me, not Howlett.”

Nick’s tail swished nervously as Judy stood from her seat.

“And I understand  _ that _ , sir. But we have a duty to protect our citizens-”

“And you  _ will _ , where I assign you. I sympathize with the wolverine’s plight the same as you do, Hopps, but you are not his personal bodyguard, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” said Nick. “And loud.”

“Good. That being said, whatever you do off the clock is no business of mine, so long as it remains on the right side of the law.” Bogo smiled ever so slightly, and looked down at the last remaining file.

“You two are headed to the Nocturnal District. Precinct 5 has reason to believe Bellwether’s chemist has set up shop down there, and you are scheduled to debrief with Captain Yaguara on everything you know about Doug or his accomplices. I’ve cleared the day, so you two have as much time down there as you need.”

Judy clapped her paws together. “Oh, this is exciting! I’ve never been there before.”

“Don’t lose your focus, Hopps. Yaguara is...not as pleasant a mammal as I am, and very old-fashioned.”

“So I’m guessing she’s not going to be too big a fan of a bunny and fox as cops?” Nick asked. “We could bring a bottle of wine, tell a few jokes?”

Bogo snorted. “I’m not joking, Wilde. You two will have to be careful. Yaguara may report to me, but she’s always enjoyed a measure of independence. It could be an uphill battle.

“Don’t worry sir, we’ll handle it!” Judy hopped down from her chair. “I’ve got a  _ lot _ of experience working with mammals who don’t want to help me. And look at him now, he’s my partner and everything.”

“Better me than everyone else at the ZPD, right Chief?” said Nick, with a wink.

* * *

 

 

“Chief Bogo can try and scare me all he likes; this is still exciting!” said Judy.

They were sitting in the middle of traffic, Nick drumming his fingers on the wheel. “He may have a point, Carrots. He didn’t seem to care too much for this Captain Yaguara, who I assume isn’t going to care too much for either of us.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Your optimism is exhausting.”

“Let’s change the subject. You’ve lived here all your life. Have you been there?” Judy asked.

“Plenty of times. Great part of town, so long as you stay on the ZPD’s good side.”

Judy squinted. “What do you mean?”

“Well, they’re not as friendly as you or I. They prefer a ‘stun and detain first, ask questions later’ approach. We’re lucky the first time you’re going down there is in a uniform.”

Ahead of them, traffic widened into 5 lanes across on both sides, with an enormous stone tunnel casting a shadow on half the cars. Every now and then, a horn honked in impatience.

“Anything I should know beforehand? What’s it like down there?” Judy asked.

Nick grinned. “I’ll let you see for yourself.”

Once they reached the tunnel, Judy could see a large metal platform and an attendant directing the cars to spaces separated by white paint. He waved them to the last space, and scribbled some things down on a clipboard. He hurried over to his booth, where Judy could just barely make out a control panel. The attendant pushed one of the buttons, and the platform began to rumble.

“Wait…” Judy said, gripping Nick’s arm. “The district’s underground?”

Nick patted her paw with mock sympathy. “Oh Fluff, it’s the ‘Nocturnal’ District. What? Did you think they turned the sun off?”

The rumbling grew louder and the platform started down a slanted track. Industrial lamps beamed down harsh light, and the polished stone of the tunnel turned to jagged, crudely-excavated rock. Judy looked in all directions, hoping to spot something, but when she noticed every other mammal playing with their phones or idly chatting with their neighbor, she pulled her head back into the squad car.

“It’ll be a few minutes,” Nick said, leaning his seat back. “It had to be far enough down to keep the rest of the city from crashing down on top of us.”

“Y-you don’t think that could happen, right?”

Nick, detecting the hint of nervousness, flashed a toothy grin. “Anything can happen, I suppose. Did you ever learn ‘duck and cover’ in school?”

The lights suddenly shut off, and Judy’s head pivoted all around, goosebumps running up her spine. The rumbling of the platform ceased, and another set of lights shone down onto the platform. One by one the cars started up and drove off the platform, down another tunnel and around a curve. Judy heard the sound of music, saw pulsating lights, felt her heartbeat jump to her throat. She gasped when they turned the corner.

The caverns were gargantuan, at least fifteen stories, their edges warped by dozens of wondrous stalactites and stalagmites. Some were turned into artificial pillars, met in the middle by ornately-carved concrete and wrought iron buttresses, while others supported the district’s architecture, either by carving them out or constructing around them. Each stood like blackened monoliths, and large swaths of bio-luminescent mushrooms and algae cast brilliant shades of color upon their polished walls, in hues of red, and green, and purple, blue, and yellow.

Beneath them, the road was lined with strips of cool blue light, winding through the pillars and crevices. Mammals steeped in neon signs and heavy shadow wandered past glass displays and intimidating entryways, about their business and oblivious to Judy’s wonder of it all. Further down the cavern, a geyser spurt billowing steam high into the air, and looping ads played on the subsequent cloud of mist.

They pulled to the first open meter, and Judy almost immediately leapt out of the car. “This place is amazing!” she exclaimed. She spun in place, her eyes dancing with the colors of the cavern, and she might have fallen over if Nick hadn’t reached under her arms and caught her.

“Careful Fluff,” he teased. “It’s a little dark down here, and you’re not nocturnal.”

Judy grabbed his shirt in excitement. “Why didn’t I ever hear about this place?”

“It’s about as far away from the carrot farm as you can get. I wager it’d been off your radar for years.”

“Why didn’t  _ you _ tell me about this place?”

Nick brushed her off, laughing. “I finished my time at the academy two days ago! Before that, you knew me for, what was it, 48 hours? Don’t you think if I had time to show you the city I would have? That starry-eyed look is so cute I can hardly stand it.”

Judy punched his arm. “Don’t call me cute.”

“Oh, Officer Hopps!”

A hyena waved at them from across the street, and was nearly hit by a streetcar as he crossed to greet them. He was stoutly built, with a bulbous nose, watery eyes, and broad, toothy smile. His left ear flopped with every step.

“My name is Officer Mlanje, but if you can’t pronounce that, you can call me Ed. Most mammals stick with Ed.”

Judy and Nick both shook his paw. “How did you know it was me?” Judy asked.

“You made waves,” Ed replied. “A bunny assigned to Precinct 1 right out of the gate? Maybe you didn’t know it, but everyone was keeping an eye on you, especially the captain.”

“And what do they think of me now?” Judy asked.

Ed shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s a tough crowd. But I’m a big fan, if you don’t mind my saying.”

He turned back towards the street, motioning for them to follow. “Come on, I’ll show you the way to the station. It’s just two blocks down.”

The sound of lively jazz wafted out a doorway they passed, mixed with cigarette smoke and the smell of coffee beans. A pine marten sold cheap trinkets from a wooden cart, snowglobes and keychains and postcards all at suspiciously low prices, although he didn’t seem perturbed as the three officers walked past.

As they took a crosswalk, Judy spied the ZPD Precinct 5 building, an ominous behemoth of dark brick that snaked up and around one of the larger pillars. A tall iron gate stood on either side of their entrance, winding a large circumference around the stalagmite upon which the building was supported. At the very top, a watchtower sporting large glass windows all the way around watched the district below.

Ed saw the look on Judy’s face. “It certainly gives off that ‘warm welcome’ vibe, doesn’t it? Captain Yaguara likes it when she can keep an eye on things.”

“It looks like the guard tower of a prison,” Nick remarked, whistling as his eyes followed from the bottom to the top.

“Have experience with those, Officer Wilde?” teased Judy.

After you!” Ed opened the door for the two of them.

In the middle of the atrium, several glass elevators rose to the very top floor, with narrow walkways high above leading into the bedrock. Reception stood immediately to their right, where a Grizzly bear sat in an impossibly small chair, his back to almost a dozen small flickering television screens. Judy spied their party in one of them, and tried to find the corresponding camera.

Nick pointed to the screens. “What’s with the eyes and ears everywhere?”

Ed shrugged. “Captain says it keeps perps from acting up. They’re less likely to put up a fuss if we can charge them with something else with the video evidence.”

He led them to one of the elevators, and pressed the button for the top floor with a chubby thumb. Judy stumbled as the elevator suddenly rocketed upwards, the glass around them humming from the speed. Nick shook his ears wildly when they stepped back out, blinking and gritting his teeth.

“That might take some getting used to,” he said.

Ed gently pushed them from behind. “We better get going. Captain hates it when we’re late.”

He led them across the walkway where a single black door stood, Captain Yaguara’s name painted in white. Ed rapped his knuckles lightly across, pressing his ear against the wood.

“Captain?” he called. “Officers Hopps and Wilde are here.”

The door swung open, and Ed stumbled forward. Captain Yaguara stepped aside, letting him fall to the floor. She stepped over his body, and looked down at Judy and Nick both. She was a remarkably tall jaguar for her species, with broad shoulders and well-toned muscles beneath her crisp, black uniform.

She did not offer her paw, merely stepping back over Ed (who was still trying to get to his feet). “That will be all. Leave us.”

“Right away, ma’am,” Ed waved goodbye, and Judy could have sworn she spied a look of condolences as he shuffled back towards the elevator.

“Water?” Yaguara asked, striding towards her desk. She did not wait for a reply, and two bottles were waiting for Judy and Nick as they crawled into the only other chair.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Judy said softly. 

Yaguara did not acknowledge Judy’s thanks, having turned in her chair to a file cabinet behind her. She produced several forms, and placed them on her desk, sliding them over.

“Fill these out with anything and everything you left out in your initial report about Bellwether’s accomplices.”

“Left out?” Nick repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Captain, my report was exhaustive. I didn’t leave out anything.”

Yaguara laced her fingers together, staring coolly down at Judy. “I find that hard to believe, Officer Hopps. Otherwise Doug would not have eluded capture for so long, right under your nose. I don’t know the standards Bogo allows in his precinct anymore, but in  _ my _ district we don’t let wanted criminals escape custody.”

Judy’s tail twitched. “I hate to disagree with you, ma’am, but our primary goal at the time was getting the evidence to the ZPD. And we caught Bellwether as a direct result.”

“Forgive me, but dumb luck is not usually considered an accomplishment.”

“Excuse me?” Judy felt her heart begin to race.

Yaguara stood from her desk. “Tell me, what did you expect to happen to that railcar if you had pursued the sheep instead? Did you think it would just jump off its rails, slip away into the shadows?”

“But Captain-”

“One of you could have followed Doug, and the other called for back-up. That railcar was going nowhere, and if it weren’t for your impulsive and reckless behavior, both Doug and his accomplices would be behind bars.”

Yaguara stood by the window, looking down into the cavern. “Instead, you chose blind heroics. That railcar could have killed dozens of people, caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. I acknowledge your capture of Bellwether, but I doubt a hired gun would have protected her for very long.”

She turned to face both Nick and Judy, her expression icy and disappointed. “So perhaps you understand my hope that vital information was left out of your initial report. Otherwise, I have to simply accept your stupidity.”

Nick jumped from the chair. “Easy does it, sweetheart. Hindsight’s always 20/20, isn’t it?”

Yaguara took an aggressive step forward. “Watch your tone, fox. If you were under my command, that smart little mouth of yours would not be tolerated.”

“It was that ‘smart mouth’ that helped us solve the case,” said Judy. “Captain Yaguara, I understand you’re frustrated that Doug is running loose, but we’re on the same side.”

“Are we?” Yaguara turned her sharp, yellow gaze to Nick. “I find that hard to believe, present company considered.”

“Nick is a good Officer,” Judy pressed. “He’s my friend. If you’re questioning his character, you’re questioning the ZPD.”

“You will not put words in my mouth, rabbit. The ZPD is a noble, proud service to the community, service that starts with keeping criminals off my streets, and out of its own ranks.”

Yaguara sat back at her desk, tapping her claws on the wood. “Shall I be honest? I don’t trust either of you. I believe the both of you are more concerned with proving something to countless strangers rather than protecting them from harm. First rabbit officer, first fox officer...these accolades are useless, hollow unless you fulfill your duty to Zootopia, and I have no reason to believe you have made that priority.”

Judy’s foot thumped in anger. “I won’t have my duty called into question. I don’t care if you’re a Captain, or the Chief of Police, or the Mayor for all I care. I serve this city, not my own ego. And if I’m proving anyone wrong, its your own backwater attitude towards any mammal shorter than you.”

“‘Get out of my office,  _ now _ ,” Yaguara snarled, throwing her fist against the desk. “I’d have your badges if you weren’t under Bogo’s thumb.”

Nick began to lead Judy out of the room before she could argue any further. “You don’t have to tell us twice,  _ Cap’n.  _ Officer Hopps and I will take our leave. I mean, we found fourteen missing mammals and unraveled a political conspiracy in less than 48 hours, but I’m sure you can handle a few sheep. How long’s it been since you knew they were down here? A few weeks?”

Yaguara leapt up, knocking her chair to the floor. “Out! Get out, you little vermin!”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Nick shut the door behind them, his ears flat against his head. “Well, that could have gone better,” he said, rubbing his neck. “How you holding up, Carrots?”

“Did she even want our help?” Judy demanded, furious. “Or did she just bring us all the way down here so she could yell at us? Who does she think she is?”

Nick pointed to the nameplate on the door. “I think  _ she _ thinks she’s the Captain down here.”

“How can you be so calm? After those horrible things she said? Nick, are you sure you’re ok?”

Her partner knelt down, putting his paws on her shoulders. She saw hurt in his eyes, but there was pride, too. “I’ve had better days, true, but I always knew things were going to get worse before they got better. And maybe I do have something to prove, but it’s nothing to her.

Nick stood back up, lifting her chin with his finger. He shot her a wink. “And with you in my corner, I think we’ll be okay. Just don’t try to wreck any trains on my behalf.”

Judy giggled. “No promises.”

  
“That’s the Carrots I know. So Bogo thought we’d be down here all morning...how about an early lunch? Brunch? Do I hear a Yay or Nay for brunch?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> -Yaguara is Nhengatu (a South American, indigenous language) for beast.
> 
> -Mlanje refers to a village in Malawi where a pair of Spotted Hyenas killed dozens of people.


	3. Job Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting into full-swing, here! I've got a rough sketch of at least the first act, which is probably a couple months' worth of chapters.

“Okay, remind me to let you pick where we eat,” Judy said, tearing into another waffle with predatory-like gusto.

Nick had proven very persuasive in his suggestion they grab brunch after being thrown out of Yaguara’s office, and had taken the both of them to a tiny little bistro nestled at the edge of the pool surrounding the geyser. The restaurant was driven into the side of the canyon wall, held aloft by four pillars of reinforced concrete, and reachable by heavy wooden stairs. The hostess, a large bat, had seated them on the far side of the dining hall, by an open window that looked out onto the pool. The tables were repurposed boulders with large slabs of glass drilled into them, and it was here that Nick sat across from Judy with a cup of coffee and some grubs spread on toast, drumming his fingers on the glass and looking as smug as ever.

“You don’t know how good you’ve got it, having me as a partner. I’ve lived here my whole life; I know every little nook and cranny like the back of my paw.”

Judy puckered her lips in disbelief. “Okay Slick Nick, if you’re so wise, what’s with the underwater lake?”

“The city was built on a watering hole, right? Well, this is the aquifer of said watering hole.”

“Fine, I’ll give you that one.”

Nick chuckled. “Do you always quiz your friends to make sure they’re worthy of picking a place to eat?”

“I’m a farm girl. Nothing but the freshest ingredients will do,” said Judy.

“Well, I don’t know about fresh, but it at least tastes fine to me.”

Nick noticed Judy had begun to pick at her food, drawing tiny circles in the plate with her fork. She rested her head in her other paw, seemingly lost in thought.

“You alright? I was only joking about the food. I’m sure it’s fresh.”

Judy reached for her phone. “This isn’t right. Chief Bogo expected us to debrief Captain Yaguara about Doug, and since that obviously didn’t happen, we need to at least get in touch and tell him what happened.”

“He’s not gonna be happy.”

Judy punched in the Chief’s number, putting the phone between them on the table. After a few rings, they heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line.

“When I said it’d be an uphill battle, I didn’t expect it’d be because of you two. Can you guess who I just got off the phone with?”

“Chief, I gotta tell you, we went in there with the best intentions,” said Nick. “But I think she just wanted a couple of punching bags.”

“I don’t care what your intentions were, Wilde. You two were directly insubordinate to a Captain of the ZPD, a superior officer. Yaguara is not friendly or subtle, and I do not always agree with her methods, but she has an impeccable record and was put in command for a reason. My authority over her protected you this time, but I will not make a habit of sticking my neck out for you. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” Judy said meekly.

“I do _not_ want to have this conversation again. Keep that independent streak in check, or I will not hesitate to put you on parking duty until your fur turns white.”

Judy and Nick stared at one another as he hung up. Nick leaned back in his seat and whistled. “ _That_ could have gone better, too. And here I thought I had made a good first impression.”

“He’s just a little upset right now,” Judy insisted, albeit with little certainty in her voice. “I’m sure he doesn’t think the same of you as Yaguara does.”

“Still, better to lay low for a while. You don’t have to be an ex-con to know that if the Chief of police is miffed, staying off his radar can only help.”

“But Bogo didn’t give us another assignment,” said Judy. “We can’t just wander around all day.”

Nick scratched the fur under his neck. “Let’s just head back up. We’ll give him a little time to cool off, patrol for a few hours, and you can ask for another assignment.”

“Me?”

“I have a feeling Captain Spots had a few choicer words for me than she did for you.”

They paid for their meal and left, descending the stairs. Judy stopped halfway down, leaning against the railing and watching the geyser burst.

“If Yaguara weren’t the Captain, I wouldn’t mind being posted down here for a little,” she said. “I like it. Feels like a whole other world down here. And Ed seems nice.”

“I actually completely forgot about the hyena,” he said, smirking. “That’s a useful trick, what with a boss like…”

Nick trailed off, leaning over the railing and squinting his eyes. Judy followed his eyes, to a small little alcove on the other side of the pool. There were a few decrepit buildings huddled together, with dirty windows and walls covered in moss and algae.

“What is it?” Judy asked. “Did you see something?”

“Maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me…”

“But?”

“But, I could have sworn I saw wool.”

Judy folded her arms. “Nick, there are sheep _everywhere_.”

“I know that, but why over there? It looks abandoned.”

“Maybe they’re just kids throwing rocks through old windows.”

Nick didn’t seem convinced. “Maybe. I say we check it out.”

“Right after you just said to lay low for a while? We should just tell the precinct and let them handle it.”

“Yaguara will think we’re interfering no matter what we do. But you remember when you told me how you chased after Weaselton? If you hadn’t, who knows how differently things would have ended up?”

“Where are you going with this?” Judy asked.

“You’ve got good instincts, Carrots. And I know what I said, but I’m asking you what you think we should do. If you want to leave, I’m right behind you, but if I know you as well as I think, which I do, you’re just as curious as I am.”

Judy stood there with her hands on her hips, nose twitching in thought. Finally, she started back down the stairs. “Let’s find a way over there.”

An otter, who took mammals around the pool on a little boat while he rattled off the history of the district, offered to take them across, the motor purring quietly as they crossed the black water.

“I’m not paddling into some firefight, am I?” the otter joked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Judy kept her eyes on the shadowed buildings. “Just to be safe, don’t wait for us. We can follow the shoreline back, sir.”

The otter shut off the motor as they drew close, paddling the rest of the way with two strong wooden oars. They gently nudged the shore, a bed of rough pebbles and stone, and without a word the otter began to paddle back out, wishing Judy and Nick luck with a silent wave.

Judy’s ears flicked back and forth like radar in the dark, eyes scanning every dark corner and muffled shadow. Nick followed behind her, sniffing the air.

“I definitely smell sheep,” he whispered.

“How do you know what all sheep smell like?” Judy shot back.

“I used to have a place in the Meadowlands. I know the stench of sweaty wool when I catch a whiff of it.”

Judy shivered. “Gross.”

They heard voices, and leapt behind a stack of wooden pallets. Judy began recording on her phone as three young sheep wandered up to one of the abandoned buildings. One of them strode towards the boarded-up door and timidly kicked it with his foot.

“I mean, it looks alright,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Definitely ain’t the Hairiot, but it’ll do.”

“I’m not so sure,” another said, framing what was in front of him with his hooves. “You can see it from town. I thought it was supposed to be secluded.”

“It’s called hiding in plain sight, numbskull,” the first one said. ‘Outta all the caves down here, the last place they’ll think to look is the most obvious one. I tell you this place’ll be fine.”

“What are they talking about?” Nick murmured. Judy put a finger to her lips and kept recording as the first sheep pulled out his phone.

“Hey, I think we found a pretty good spot, on the far side of the geyser. Yeah, the run-down places. Well we think it’s pretty good. They won’t think to look here. Yeah? So we’re good? Okay. Yeah, I’ll let the others know.”

He hung up. “He’s on board. We found our boys their clubhouse.”

Judy’s jaw dropped. “Clubhouse??” she whispered.

“Maybe that’s a code word?” said Nick.

“I’ll let Scoutmaster Sheering know. The troop’s gonna be real excited.”

Nick covered his eyes. “That’s a no. Can we chalk this one up to ‘everybody makes mistakes’?”

Judy began to back out from behind the stack of pallets, tip-toeing around the corner. “Let’s get out of here before we have to explain why we’re stalking a bunch of Ranger Scouts.”

* * *

 

 

Neither had said much on their way back to Savanna Central, Bogo’s scolding still fresh on their minds. Judy was tempted to aimlessly drive around, to ‘patrol’ for the rest of the day, but she knew it’d be better for them in the long term if they went back to Bogo and apologized, regardless of how they personally felt.

Before they stepped inside, Judy spied an Elk climbing the stairs, carrying a briefcase and dressed in a tailored suit. She held the door for him, smiling brightly.

“Afternoon sir, allow me.”

The elk nodded curtly, with a small smile. “Thank you.”

He strode through the atrium with great confidence, speaking with Clawhauser in hushed tones. The usually jovial cheetah seemed nervous, and quickly directed the elk upstairs, and Judy watched him make a beeline towards Bogo’s office.

“Hey Clawhauser, what’s with Deer-on-a-mission?” Nick asked. “Bogo in trouble?”

“I can’t, or at least, I _really_ shouldn’t talk about it,” said Clawhauser.

Nick wagged his finger. “Oh come on, don’t hold out on us. We won’t tell a soul.”

Clawhauser looked to the left and to the right, before squatting at his desk and meeting Nick’s eye level. He cupped his paws to his mouth, whispering. “He’s from internal affairs. The Commissioners Council wants a full investigation into the precinct.”

Judy looked at Bogo’s door, worried. “An investigation? What for?”

“It’s just standard procedure. Bellwether had multiple officers working for her, so internal affairs has to make sure no one else is dirty. We’re all on the chopping block for a few weeks, maybe even a couple months.”

A look of realization washed across Nick’s face. “I’ll bet you that’s what’s got Buffalo Butt all frazzled. That’s why he’s had all that extra work, why he wanted us to keep our noses clean.”

“I hope he’s doing okay,” said Judy. “That’s gotta be rough.”

Clawhauser waved her off. “Chief’ll be fine. He may be a sweetheart on the inside, but he’s a big bad bull on the outside. He knows how to handle himself. Do you two need to see him?”

“Sort of.”

“That sounds like a story, but I think I’ve had enough gossip for one day. Just wait outside his office.”

Nick and Judy could hear Bogo speaking with the internal affairs officer through the door, though it was muffled and impossible to understand. Bogo’s usually powerful baritone had given way to a surprising amount of sternness from the elk, who repeatedly interrupted the Chief throughout their conversation. After several minutes they both stepped outside, with Bogo looking somewhat defeated, and thoroughly annoyed.

The elk straightened his tie, and picked up his suitcase. “I’ll set up in one of the spare conference rooms, and I’ll have a schedule drafted to meet with the officers and support staff whenever they aren’t on duty. For both ours sake, I hope I don’t find anything.”

Bogo nodded. “Of course. Clawhauser will help.”

He looked at Nick and Judy. “Step inside, you two.”

“If it’s any consolation, sir, I’m sorry you have to deal with this right now,” Judy said, shutting the door.

“How do you know what this is about? Wait...nevermind. The less I know the better. Sit, both of you.”

Bogo sighed and rubbed his eyes. “You two are proving to be just as much of a liability as you are an asset to this precinct. You’re lucky Yaguara’s team isn’t being investigated.”

“She’s a piece of work alright,” said Nick. “Almost makes me wish I wasn’t on the force. Permission to speak freely, so to speak.”

To their surprise, Bogo smiled. “I’ve felt that way myself many times over the years. I’m assuming she berated your inability to capture Doug?”

“Yes! Did she tell you that herself?” Judy asked.

“Yaguara has always favored arrests. She believes them to be the most concrete way of improving the lives of citizens, a quantifiable measure of our effectiveness, and if she doesn’t get her way, she can be...well, she doesn’t take it very well. Never mind the fact that neither of you were officers at the time, without the authority to make any arrests in the first place. For what it’s worth, I believe you made the right choice. I had hoped she was willing to cooperate when I sent you two down there, but apparently I was wrong.”

His expression hardened. “Still, you two have _got_ to be careful. I cannot and will not protect you if you intend to antagonize the other officers, nevermind a captain.”

“Yes sir,” said Judy. “I’m sorry we let it get out of hand.”

“Me too,” Nick agreed. “It won’t happen again.”

“I wonder about that. Because I have a proposition for you two.”

Nick and Judy shared a nervous look. “Sir?”

“I told you yesterday that you two were in a unique position within the ZPD, and after a great deal of thought, I'm considering you both for positions that reflect as much: detectives.”

Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “Detective? Like a Private Investigator?”

“No, Wilde. You will still serve my precinct under my supervision, and you are still by all definitions officers. But you both have recognizable talents that are well-suited to the kind of police work being a detective entails. Intuition, resourcefulness, traits that can’t necessarily be taught. You work uncovering the missing mammals cases are a testament to those traits.”

“But sir,” Judy began, “I haven’t been on the force for even a year yet; it’s only Nick’s second day. Are we qualified for this?”

“In the end, I decide who's qualified or not. The selection process takes several months, and by then you'll meet ZPD minimum standards. Even then, should you be selected, several months further are nothing more than a probationary period. Normally,  detectives aren’t subject to the same training normal officers must undergo, but because the both of you have already graduated from the academy, you’re head and shoulders above any other candidate I might consider. That paperwork you saw on my desk? Some of it were the other applications, from civilians.”

“Obviously, you’ll need additional training,” Bogo continued. “Interrogation techniques, forensic and records investigation, special courses and written exams, and they _will_ take you off the streets for however long they'll take. But should you be selected, accept the nomination, and pass all required tests, you will have a greater level of autonomy and resources within the ZPD, free to follow cases to any of the precincts should they take you there.”

Judy slouched against her seat, overwhelmed. “This is...it’s a lot to take in, sir. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I might need some time to think about it.”

“I understand, Hopps. It’s a big decision. But you and Wilde can continue to work together, in an environment I hope will play to your strengths. You will have more direct contact with civilians, and receive the appropriate financial compensation.”

Bogo leaned forward, smirking. “And, between the three of us, it will make Yaguara _furious_. I want a decision by tomorrow, so you two will be taking the rest of the day off to think about it. Go home, get some rest, and keep out of trouble.”

He stood from his desk, and walked Judy and Nick out. Nick rubbed his paws together, unusually excited.

“Who would have thought we were up for a promotion? I expected Bogo just wanted to yell at us too.”

“Yeah,” Judy murmured, her ears fallen. “I’m kind of glad we have the day off.”

“You okay Carrots?” Nick asked. “I figured you’d be over the moon.”

Judy walked to the railing, looking down at the atrium, flushed with the sunlight of high noon. “It’s...almost too much to believe. By all definitions I’m still a rookie, and I never expected to move up this fast. It’s surreal.”

“So the Chief recognizes talent, that’s a good thing,” Nick insisted. He moved to her side, touching her shoulder. “Do you remember what you asked me, the night before I left for the academy?”

“I asked why _you_ wanted to be a police officer. It was a 180 from what you’ve done up until then.”

Nick nodded. “And I told you I wanted to be part of a pack. Brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy, just like the Junior Ranger Scouts. And that’s still true, but it’s not what convinced me to take that step.”

Judy turned to face him. “Then what was?”

Nick almost seemed embarrassed, sheepishly looking down. “I just wanted to stay with you.”

“W-with me?”

“Carrots, You showed every mammal in this city what one rabbit can do, with every odd stacked against you, myself included. You’re going to turn this city on it’s head, and I want to be in the passenger’s seat the whole way.”

Judy blushed. “Don’t sell yourself short, Nick. You’re just as capable as I am.”

Nick shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not one for the spotlight, but I can’t see myself doing this with anyone else, so where you go, I go. If you want my advice, and you _do_ , I think you should take this job. Bogo’s no gift horse, but I wouldn’t look in his mouth much longer.”

To his surprise, Judy leapt up and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

“Nick, I’m really glad you hustled me that day.”

The fox laughed softly. “That’s a first. But I’m glad I did, too.”

He began to sway back and forth on his feet. “So...have any idea what we should do on our day off?”

“Actually, would it be alright if we ran by Mr. Howlett’s? I think he’d appreciate us stopping by.”

“I’ll get our coats.”

* * *

 

 

Howlett waved to them from his front door, rubbing his arms in the cold. He left the door open for them, and was putting on a sweater when they stepped inside.

“Some days it feels just like you can’t get warm,” he said, sitting in his easy chair. “It’s good to see you two again. I wanted to thank you. I’ve noticed the extra patrols come by my home and store, and it seems to be working. I know it’s only been a couple of days, but I haven’t had any trouble since. Maybe in a few more days this place will start to feel like home again.”

“That’s very good to hear, Mr. Howlett,” said Judy. “We just wanted to come by and check on things. Is there anything new you can tell us?”

“Not yet. Have you looked at the traffic footage yet?”

Nick shook his head. “Not yet. It takes a couple of days to get the clearance, or at least it does now. We used to have a friend in city hall, but…”

Judy elbowed him in the side. “ _But,_ we’ll be on it as soon as it becomes available. How’s your family?”

“They’ve got hope. I asked they wait a little longer, just to be safe.”

“I’m sure they won’t have to wait too much longer to see you again.”

Boris stroked his whiskers. “Maybe.”

“Sir?”

The wolverine leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on his knees. “I can’t sit idly by and let the ZPD fight my battles. There’s more I can do, more all us civilians can do. As I understand it, your precinct is helping to form neighborhood watches and outreach programs. I want to start our own here in Tundratown, and in every other district.”

“Without some measure of accountability, too many mammals are content to let these crimes happen so long as their own life is unobstructed,” he continued. “I want to make sure that if they choose to do nothing, everyone in the district will know of their apathy. Call it public shaming if you want, but they won’t address it unless confronted directly.”

Judy wrung her paws together. “Sir, is that really the best idea, for you I mean? We have reason to believe your family is being specifically targeted, taking such an active role in the public’s eye could put you and your family at risk.”

“I’m aware, Officer Hopps. But this is bigger than you or I. I’ve spoken with my wife and children about this, and they want to help. It’s our responsibility to help the city just as much as it is yours.”

“Then _please_ , don’t ever hesitate to call either of us if you need help.”

Boris seemed to consider the idea, shifting his jaw back and forth. “Actually, there is a way you could help. As you might recall, I know why the ZPD sent you two specifically to handle this case. And in a few weeks, if the two of you were to speak at our first meeting, it would send a strong message to all predators and prey that they don’t have to be afraid of one another.”

Nick, who had slouched against the wall, folded his arms. “I’ve never been much of a public speaker, but if Officer Hopps is willing to take the lead, I’m in.”

“Of course, Mr. Howlett,” said Judy. “Whenever you need us, and so long as we’re off duty, we’ll be more than glad to speak. As private, concerned citizens, the same as everyone else.”

Boris smiled. “I’m glad we see eye-to-eye. Would either of you like something to drink, or eat? I’ve been having leftovers for a while now, but I could scrounge up something…”

Judy waved the gesture off. “Please, don’t go to any trouble on our account. Officer Wilde and I have actually been given the day off today. We just wanted to stop by and check in on you.”

“Then you have my thanks. My door is always open to the both of you.”

They said a brief goodbye and left. The sky was clear and bursting in deep shades of cerulean, dazzling the snow and ice.

“He’s such a nice mammal. It makes what’s happening to him so much worse,” said Judy. “If they took the time to get to know him…”

“That’s always been the problem, hasn’t it. They don’t _want_ to.”

Judy turned to her partner. “Are you sure you want to speak, when the time comes? I can do all the talking if you want.”

“I’ll hold you to that, but I might have a word or two. We’ll see.”

Judy kicked some snow around, holding her paws behind her back. “Nick...have you ever had to deal with something like this? The vandalism, or mammals shouting at you on the streets?”

“Carrots, someone was shouting at me when we first met. But they don’t get to me.”

“Makes me sick to my stomach, knowing you get treated like that,” said Judy. “Promise Nick, that if it ever _does_ get to you, you’ll call me. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

Nick smiled. “I know you will. Don’t hold your breath though; I’m unflappable.”

“Oh please,” Judy said with a snort. “You looked ready to swallow your tongue when I roped you in with those tax forms.”

“You must be remembering it wrong. How’d you even get those, by the way? You said you weren’t in the system yet.”

Judy batted her eyelashes as they hopped into the squad car. “Oh, there was just the most helpful rabbit at the tax office who was willing to help me. All I had to do was flash my badge and tell him his haircut looked cute, and he was nearly falling over on his way to the records.”

Nick raised an eyebrow, laughing. “Flirting to get what you want? Doesn’t seem your style. They teach you that on the carrot farm?”

“It has its uses. I got our farm the best real estate at the Carrot Days Festival for 5 years in a row before I left for the academy, and all I had to do was laugh at a few bad jokes.”

She rounded the corner, pulling up to a red light. “Most guys got wise to it eventually. When you’re single most of the time, they start to think there’s a reason for that.”

“You mean you didn’t have bunnies lining out the door, asking for your hand?” Nick teased.

“There were a few dates here and there, but they always ended up trying to talk me out of becoming a cop. They told me the ZPD was no place for a bunny. Maybe they meant well, but they always acted like they knew better than I did. I kind of got fed up with trying to date after a few years, and I guess they did too.”

She smiled softly. “What about you, Casanova? Any vixens out there looking for a bad boy popsicle hustler?”

“You jest, but my wily charms ensnared the hearts of many. I’d tell you the stories if we had years to spare.”

“You are so full of it.”

“Full of love, yes.”

Judy rolled her eyes, looking at him through the mirror. “You’re more in love with yourself. I bet you’ve got a mirror at home where you can stare dreamily at yourself for hours on end.”

“Says the cute little bunny who’s staring dreamily at me right now,” Nick said, grinning. “In a mirror, no less.”

Judy quickly turned her attention back to the road, blushing. “Watch it with the ‘cute’, Wilde.”

“Do you want every compliment I give taken back?”

Nick froze as his partner slowly turned to face him. “Wait...You really think I’m cute?”

Nick pursed his lips and turned to stare out the window. He drummed his fingers on the dash, his tail flicking nervously behind him. “Only messing with you Carrots.”

Judy laughed. “I wish I’d had my pen ready. Messing with me, _sure_.”

“I’m not going to live this down any time soon, am I?”  
“Maybe. How does 48 hours sound?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinting at things to come? Nick, you sly fox you.


	4. Internal Affairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the first chapter where I've really felt like I've gotten back into the swing of things. Takes a while when you've been out of the game for a few years, I guess.
> 
> Hope everyone's enjoying it so far!

Judy stood tucked away on a narrow side street underneath the humming glow of a streetlight, drumming a tune in the pavement with her feet to pass the time. To her left sat three cups of coffee, each a different size. She breathed in the nutty smell, the late night air, and could faintly hear the gentle crooning of some mellow soul on a far-away fire escape. Across the street, a little bistro closed its doors, its portly owner flipping chairs onto the tables and dancing to some unheard tune. Judy pretended he was dancing to the crooner, and giggled to herself.

A few hours ago, Judy had received a text from a blocked number, instructing her to wait under this streetlight on this street at this hour until the car had arrived to pick her up. And as a large white limo rolled up to the curb, Judy couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Mr. Manchas stepped out, dressed in a crisp black uniform and driver's cap. He smiled broadly as he crossed the front of the car, and stooped down on one knee.

"Hello, Officer Hopps," he said, holding out his paw.

Judy shook it warmly. "Mr. Manchas! I've wondered if I'd ever see you again."

"I asked for this," the panther replied. "I wanted to thank you in person, but there are not many chances for our two worlds to meet openly."

Judy lifted the larger coffee out of its container, offering it up to Manchas. "Here. I thought whoever was coming to pick me up could _use_ a pick-me-up. I hope milk is fine."

Manchas accepted it with both hands, taking a sip. He put a paw to his heart. "More than fine. Truly, a servant of the people." He turned and opened the car door, where Nick sat twiddling his thumbs. His ears perked up when he saw Judy, and he patted the rest of the seat next to him.

"Evening Carrots," he said as Judy climbed inside. "Care to join me on this trip down memory lane?"

Manchas reached inside and handed Judy the other coffees, and she offered one to Nick while starting on the other. "You catch the license plate, too? 29THD03. You can smell the déjà vu a mile away."

"Mr. Big is in very high spirits this evening," said Manchas, who stood hunched over the open door. "He thought it was appropriate. Just promise me you won't tear up my backseat."

"Do you think we should have asked to meet somewhere in public?" Nick asked, as Manchas shut the door and made his way back to the front. "High-spirits isn't necessarily a good thing when you're a ruthless criminal mastermind."

Judy took another sip of her coffee, smirking from behind the cup. "So we should meet with said mastermind out in the open? That may be your best idea ever, Wilde."

Manchas rolled down the glass separating the back seats from the driver's half. "You have nothing to worry about. Mr. Big has no intention of harming his granddaughter's godmother."

"I can't help but notice I wasn't included in that sentence," said Nick.

"Then perhaps Mr. Big is in the market for another rug."

Judy leaned in close. "Made from the fur of a fox's….butt." She laughed as Nick slumped in his seat, pouting.

Manchas' route deliberately avoided well-lit streets and lively squares, winding along alleyways and smaller, sparsely-driven roads. Many of the buildings lining them were boarded up, their doorways covered in cobwebs and graffiti. Trash lay piled in wanton heaps, and the gloom settled over all like dust.

Judy rolled the window up when the stench caught up. "Someone should do something about this."

"Mr. Big has several revitalization projects scattered in Tundratown, in neighborhoods just like this," Manchas explained, having overheard. "Progress is slow, but he reaches as far as he can."

Judy wrung her paws together "Hard to believe this is coming from the same Mr. Big who almost killed us."

The panther glanced at her from the mirror. "It was to project strength. Wilde had already been warned, and you are an officer of the ZPD. It would have damaged his reputation to let you go."

"Then why did he?" Nick asked. "Not that I'm ungrateful. Breathing is one of my favorite hobbies."

"Officer Hopps saved his daughter. Rewarding that devotion sent a stronger message, that those who protect family _become_ family. Mr. Big desires loyalty, and while those in his service are loyal to him, he is loyal to the city, like you two."

"Then why be a criminal in the first place?" Judy asked.

"There is only so much the law can enforce. It is his belief that crime cannot be stopped, but it can be controlled. He prefers legitimate business whenever possible, but he is not afraid to take the steps the ZPD cannot. Violence is a necessary evil."

Judy frowned. "There's always another way."

"And he will be proud to step down when it is found. Until then, anyone who moves in his way must be dealt with."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Snowflakes dazzled in the headlights, racing past the car like little white comets. Nick rubbed his arms as the cold wormed its way inside, so Judy reached over to the door and turned the heat up, sighing as the warmth crept out from beneath their seats. Up ahead, a polar bear removed the chain blocking the way onto Mr. Big's estate, letting them pass. Two others stood on either side of the grand entrance, stone-faced and hulking.

Manchas opened their door, sweeping his arm and bowing. "Mr. Big is waiting for you in the parlor. You will be escorted."

"It was good to see you again," said Judy as they passed. She waved to him from the doorway, and Manchas removed his hat, nodding in silent thanks.

The estate felt warmer, and safer, now that the three of them were on pleasant terms. The guards didn't seem dangerous so much as fiercely protective, and a few even acknowledged the pair with brief glances. The bear leading them through the hallways took them farther than the office they had first met, instead towards the end of the hall where music and light warbled out. Mr. Big himself was sat in his usual chair, placed on the coffee table facing an enormous, ornate fireplace, and his personal guardian Koslov leaned against the far wall. The Don smiled warmly when Nick and Judy appeared, and gestured for them to stand to his left.

"I apologize we could not meet at more appropriate hours," he began, turning to face them. "But I trust your journey was comfortable?"

Judy leaned forward, allowing the tiny shrew to kiss either cheek. "Thank you for sending Mr. Manchas. It was good to see him back to normal."

"I should be thanking you. That makes two members of my family you have saved."

The shrew looked to Nick, his expression blank. "Nicky."

"Sir," Nick replied, smiling nervously.

"I must say, I was surprised to hear you had followed in Officer Hopp's footsteps. But…I do not object. Please, sit."

Judy and Nick took a plush loveseat behind them. Another bear appeared behind them, offering refreshments suited to their size. Judy accepted a slice of carrot cake, while Nick chose a cappuccino topped with fresh cream. Mr. Big took a glass of wine, swirling it around in a tiny paw.

"Now, how may I be of service to you both?" Mr. Big asked, taking a sip.

Judy set the plate in her lap. "Well sir, we've been investigating the systemic harassment of Boris Howlett, another resident here in Tundratown. If I may be straightforward, he suggested you might have reason to be behind this."

Mr. Big traced the rim of the wine glass. "Howlett...he is the wolverine, yes? I have tried to work with him for many years, but he has always refused my generosity. I assume that is why he blames me, because he believes I hold some grudge?"

"That is accurate, yes."

"I am no thug. Yes, Mr. Howlett has refused me many times, but I gain nothing from beating him in the streets."

"What about your employees? Are you sure none of them might have reason to strike out on their own?" Judy pressed, scribbling in her notebook. "Maybe they wanted revenge because he refused you?"

"There is no justice in such mindless brutality. No one would dare if they carry my name."

The little shrew sighed, brushing his cheek with two slender fingers. "We are not so different from one another, Officer Hopps. We both desire peace. I am willing to spill blood for my home, and spare the rest of you that burden. Do not insult me by dragging my name through any more."

Nick pulled at his collar. "The _last_ thing we want to do is wrongly accuse you, Mr. Big."

"But we _do_ want to get to the bottom of this," said Judy. "Are you absolutely certain it wasn't someone who works for you? Normally the ZPD would consider these isolated incidents, but the calculated nature of the attacks forces us to consider that one or more mammals are doing this on purpose, and there are very few in this district that would have a reason or authority to do so."

Judy watched Mr. Big carefully, his heavy brow masking any slipping thought. Finally, he reached out and gestured for Koslov. The golem-like bear crossed the room, stooping low as Mr. Big whispered into his ear. Gently he lifted Mr. Big into his paw, standing to his full height, and made for the hallway.

"Come with me," said Mr. Big. "I wish to show you something."

Koslov led them upstairs and down another hallway. A tiny window framed the soft petals of snow floating past. He stopped at a door, adorned in Gazelle posters and leopard print stickers. Quietly, Koslov opened the door with his other paw, and stepped aside.

Judy and Nick peered into the room, littered with flashy furniture and tiny, gaudy shoes. Near the bay window, nestled in a bed carefully tailored to her size, lay a sleeping Fru-Fru, and beside her stood a little crib.

"My daughter stays with me when her husband is out of town on business," the Don explained, resting his chin on his thumb. "She is the light of my life, my angel, my beloved. And there, next to her...do you see? That is your goddaughter, Officer Hopps, named in your honor. It is our hope that this child is blessed with your courage."

"I would do anything to keep them safe," Mr. Big continued, "and I imagine the wolverine would do the same for his own children. Perhaps my daughter and I both do not look it, but we are still predators, as is Howlett, and I worry that the persecution of my kind is far from over. Any attack upon his family may soon become an attack upon my own, so perhaps I shall treat it as such."

Mr. Big leaned forward in his chair, menacing despite his small size. "I will put the word out that any further aggressions against Mr. Howlett are aggressions against myself. He may not approve of my methods, but they will keep him safe whether he likes it or not. I will also look into who may have been behind the attacks, and relay any information to you."

Koslov shut the bedroom door as Judy bowed her head in thanks. "You have our gratitude, sir. You're doing a great kindness for the city."

"It is good you recognize that. Listen carefully, Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde. I do this, not only because I do not allow blatant disrespect in my district, but because I expect my kindness to not go unanswered. My help must come with a price."

"You're asking us for a favor?" Nick asked. "Name it."

" _Nothing_ illegal," reminded Judy. "And it can't interfere with any ZPD activities."

Mr. Big nodded curtly. "I will not force you to abandon your morality. But the time will come when I will call upon you for your help, and I only ask that you trust my judgement of when that time should be."

Judy thought for a moment. Striking a deal with a known criminal was not even close to ideal, but the shrew had honored his promises up until now; there was no reason to believe he wouldn't again. She reached out with her paw, delicately pressing against the Don's own.

He smiled. "Do not forget you are also my child. I do not mistreat my children. May I ask something else of you?"

"Sir?"

"May I call you Judy? The name brings me comfort."

Judy returned his smile. "I would be honored, Mr. Big."

The Don settled back into his chair, the flower pressed to his heart glowing in the lamplight. "You have my thanks. And Nicky?"

"Y-yes?" stuttered Nick.

"You have started down a better path for yourself. I will ask something of you as well: keep this one safe. She is strong, but she need not struggle alone."

Nick looked down at Judy, who stood resolute and graceful. He lay a paw on her shoulder, and studied her gentle features. When she looked up at him, he could not hold back a smile of his own.

"You don't even have to ask," he said.

Mr. Big watched them, and as Nick smiled, he chuckled softly. "Perhaps I don't."

Koslov led them back downstairs, where Mr. Big wished them well and sent them on their way, back to Manchas. The snowfall had swelled, forcing them to slow, and Manchas had rolled up the divider so he could concentrate on the conditions outside. The gentle hum of the engine threatened to lull Judy to sleep. She swayed to her left, abruptly woken when she fell against Nick's side.

"Wait until you're home, Carrots," he said, helping her back. He reached up and grabbed the seat belt, which was large enough to cover the both of them, and pulled it across, handing it to Judy to fasten. "You'll want a full night's rest so you're wide awake for when you take that promotion."

"Oh? What makes you think I've decided to take it?" Judy said, rubbing her eyes.

"We both know you don't have to be modest. You've earned it. _I_ have through the transitive property, so I expect a gold watch."

Judy started to slide down her seat again, and Nick pressed his paw to her arm to keep her still. She said something, too quiet for him to hear.

"Come again?" he asked.

Judy turned on her side, resting her cheek against the seat and pulling her legs up underneath her. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, and she released a great yawn.

"I would had said no if you couldn't come with me," she murmured.

Nick was taken aback. "Really?"

Judy yawned again. "They could...always offer me the job again later. And I wanted to stay with you too. You were...the first person to really believe in me." She yawned a third time, and closed her eyes.

"I'm sure the blackmail helped," Nick teased.

Judy let a sigh escape alongside a giggle. "It didn't hurt."

By the time they arrived at Judy's apartment, she had fallen fast asleep, curled into a little ball. Nick knocked on the glass separating him from Manchas, and told him to wait while he carried her to her room. As gently as he could, he scooped her onto his back, holding her legs and while her arms dangled in front of him. Her keys slid out of her pocket, and very carefully, Nick kneeled down and picked them up. Manchas opened their door, and stood watch while Nick carried her inside.

"I know you're awake," said Nick, as Judy failed to hide another little laugh. "Wanted another taxi, did you?"

She crawled down from Nick's back, taking her key and opening the door as quietly as possible. She put it on the table just inside and turned back to Nick, smirking.

"Not my fault you fell for it," she said, hands on her hips.

"I've created a monster. A sly, lazy monster."

"You know you love me," she said.

And Nick said nothing, letting her words hang in the air. Cheeks tinged red, he slid his paws into his pockets, grinning as Judy bit her lip and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Goodnight, Detective Hopps," he said, winking. He started back down the hallway, and waved goodbye before making his way back down the stairs.

Judy waited until she heard the door open and shut, and she went to the window to look down onto the street. Nick was by the limo, trying to find her apartment from the outside. He must have seen her, because he offered a little two-finger salute, and hopped back in the car. Judy watched it until it turned the next corner and disappeared, and she slumped down onto her bed, resting her head on her paws.

"Dumb fox."

* * *

 

"Well? Have you two made a decision?"

Bogo was leaving his office as Judy and Nick arrived in front of it the next morning, carrying the docket for the morning's assignments. The bull stood to his full height, waiting and peering down the edge of his glasses.

Judy glanced at Nick for a moment of support. "We have, sir. Officer Wilde and I would be proud to be considered."

"I'm glad to hear that, Hopps. I have a feeling it will be a good fit for you. Granted, It is not entirely up to me, but my recommendations do carry some weight. The selection process has been fast-tracked, so you will get word within a one or two weeks at the earliest."

"Why so quickly? I thought it took a few months."

Bogo scratched his chin. "No reason I'm aware of. It's nothing to be concerned about. Come on, let's head downstairs."

The bullpen was rumbling with hushed conversations, with everyone huddled together in several groups. They quickly took their seats as Bogo strode to the front of the room, tossing the docket onto the podium.

"That's the quickest you all have shut up in years," he said, scanning the room. "I don't like it."

Fangmeyer, who had been squirming in his seat, lifted his paw to signal the Chief. "Is it true?"

Bogo sighed, removing his glasses. "It was going to make its way around the station sooner or later. Listen up everyone; the rumors are true. The precinct is under investigation from Internal Affairs."

Everyone began talking again, louder than before. Judy's ears twitched as she caught snippets of a half dozen conversations, each of them curious and tense.

"Quiet!" Bogo growled. "During her trial, when the Commissioners' Council caught wind that Bellwether had officers under her employment, protocol dictated that a full investigation be launched as quickly as one could be put together. Your normal duties will not be interfered with for the time being, but over the next few weeks, each of you will be interviewed by our assigned IAD Inspector, and if he finds _any_ professional misconduct whatsoever, your entire life will be combed over. Nevermind what the IAD will do, if I find anything…"

"Don't worry Carrots, I've started paying my taxes," whispered Nick, over whatever horrifying threat Bogo had cooked up.

The Chief cleared his throat. "Now that you're aware, I'll introduce our inspector, Officer Oliver Roosevelt, who will say a few words."

An elk stepped through the door to Bogo's left, the same one whom Judy had met just the day before. He had to bend over to get his antlers through the door, and marched straight to the podium, forcing Bogo to take a few steps aside. He did not greet the Chief, focusing his attention on everyone else.

"Good morning, everyone." Oliver's voice was small, yet it carried well, and he stood with poise and practiced confidence. In the strong light, Judy spied a ragged scar at the base of his collar, hairless and browned in the sun. He saw her looking, and pulled his shirt aside to show everyone.

"This was the response of another officer under my investigation several years ago. I want you all to get a good look, because the threat of violence didn't scare me then, and it won't scare me now. The ZPD represents the highest moral authority of predator and prey alike, and it is my job to enforce our standards rigorously. If there has ever been misconduct in this precinct, I _will_ find it, and the consequences will be severe. I may frustrate or anger you, but please remember that I am not your enemy; I only want what's best for the ZPD. Hopefully, all of you will meet with me only once. A finalized schedule will be given to you tomorrow, so be sure to make time once you're aware of when I will meet with you. Thank you all for your time."

He strode back towards the door, but turned back to look at Judy. "And to be clear, I treat all mammals equally. No officer, however big or _small_ , will be overlooked."

Nick jabbed her ribs. "I think he likes you," he said, getting a laugh from most of the other officers. Judy, however, wasn't laughing.

"Why did he single me out?" she asked Nick quietly, as Bogo began rattling off the day's assignments.

Nick patted her back. "He was probably looking at me, Fluff. Your nose is clean, so don't worry that fluffy tail of yours."

Bogo snapped his fingers, grabbing their attention. "Wilde, Hopps, the traffic footage is available and the login info is waiting for you with Clawhauser. Take it to either of your desks and look it over. If you find anything, write down the timestamps on your reports."

Clawhauser gave them the login information to access the traffic cameras, and they hurried to Judy's computer to see if they had caught any of the mammals who had attacked Howlett. There were several dozen hours available, but only one or two hours were relevant.

"When does it say he was attacked?" Judy asked, as she skipped ahead.

Nick thumbed through their notes. "About 11:45. We'll start with maybe, fifteen minutes before?"

The first camera caught a wide angle of Howlett's storefront, as well as several others further down the street. When Judy moved to the time Nick suggested, there stood four figures, all dressed in bulky clothing and their faces masked with scarves or hoods. The huddled around the nearby streetlight, just outside Boris' shop.

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say they're who we're looking for," said Nick.

Sure enough, when Judy skipped a few more minutes ahead, Boris was leaving his shop, and the group headed towards him. They surrounded the wolverine, and the one of them began to speak to him. There wasn't any sound, but it was obvious they were angry. They pointed at him, and the figure standing behind Boris suddenly pushed him to the ground.

Judy frowned, disgusted. "He hadn't done anything wrong. This is horrible."

Despite not wanting to, they watched the attack closely, searching for any identifying characteristics. But the group was careful to keep their features hidden, and they managed to leave the sight of the first camera, abandoning Boris in the middle of the street, bruised and bloodied. Nick took over the mouse from Judy, and switched to the next camera. The group stayed together for only a few moments, before splitting apart, each taking a different direction.

"We should make a copy the footage," said Nick. "Divide it up. You follow two of them, I'll follow the others."

"Good idea," Judy said.

It took several minutes to copy the footage, so Nick continued to work on the database while Judy waited for the download to copy onto a USB. Her partner was muttering something, clicking rapidly, but hadn't reached over to get her attention yet, so kept to herself. After the footage was ready, she had only just begun to start when Nick finally tapped her on the shoulder.

"You should take a look at this," he said.

Nick had paused the footage as one of the assailants was climbing down into a sewer several blocks away. They pulled the cover back on top of them, and Nick moved to another page where he had followed another of the assailants. He too was prying open a mammalhole cover to disappear underneath the street.

"You think my guys did the same?" Judy wondered aloud.

Nick furrowed his brow. "I wouldn't be surprised. They knew we'd check the cameras, but that's not all."

"What else?"

"I may or may not be privy to certain information regarding tunnels leading from the surface districts to the Nocturnal District. Tunnels that aren't exactly-"

"Legal?" Judy finished. "Good thing you play ball for us now, then. Why don't the ZPD know about them?"

"They do, and I bet Yaguara's in charge of filling them in. But new ones are usually open in a few weeks. Because there are only a few entrances to the district, that's where the a lot of the police presence is. The tunnels aren't well-known even on the other side of the law. If they were, and the wrong mammal spilled the beans, it'd cause a lot of problems for a lot of crooks."

Judy raised an eyebrow, tapping her foot on the floor. "And how did _you_ come to be aware of them?"

I'm not on trial, am I?" Nick said, pulling at his tie. "I had acquaintances. Sometimes acquaintances that owed me a favor."

"What did you use them for?"

"Carrots…"

Judy noticed that Nick seemed uncomfortable. He had hunched down with his ears pressed to his head, and his tail flicked back and forth in agitation. She bit her lip.

"Sorry. I shouldn't press you on that stuff. It's not who you are."

Nick rolled his tongue in his mouth. "That's not going to stop Olly the overzealous elk from picking through it all."

"Is that what you're worried about? Nick, you passed the background check before you were accepted to the academy. The IAD is only interested in what happens _while_ you're on the force, not before."

"Then maybe I should take as much vacation as I can before he shakes me down," Nick joked. "Give him as little to work with as possible."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it. Now, do you still remember where the tunnels are?"

"They've probably changed since then, but it couldn't hurt. You want to check the cameras in the Nocturnal District, see if any of them pop up?"

"Bingo."

Judy rolled over to Nick's desk, reaching over his shoulder for the mouse. She selected the drop-down menu to find the Nocturnal District, but when she tried to load the database, a warning appeared on the screen. Another password was required, alongside a short message that read ' _All footage from the Nocturnal District must be approved by Captain Yaguara, ZPD.'_

Nick pushed his chair away, groaning. "Give me your feet, rabbit. Maybe if I rub them, we'll get enough luck to convince that cat to help us."

Judy didn't seem perturbed. "It's official ZPD business. She can't just shut us out."

"I bet your Bunnyburrow butt she'll try."

"Then we'll just try harder."

Nick shot her an 'easier-said-than-done' look, but held his tongue. They marked the timestamps as Bogo requested, filling out a few other supplementary pieces of paperwork, before heading up to give everything to Bogo. As they passed Clawhauser's desk, Judy realized they needed another form.

"Hey Clawhauser, where's the official request form for traffic footage from other districts?"

Benjamin looked confused. "Request form? We don't need those! Once you're logged in, the whole system should be available. _Well_ , one or two districts require extra permissions, but you shouldn't have trouble unless-"

He stopped. Clawhauser spied their paperwork, and snatched it out of Judy's paw, spreading it out on his desk. His lips followed along as he read over their reports, when suddenly he burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh _that's_ why," he said. "You have to go through Yaguara. I'll tell your next of kin. What would you like on your headstones?"

Nick ignored the joke. "Yeah, she's not very fond of us."

"Join the club, right? Fangmeyer swears he saw her smile once, but I'm not convinced. What do you need from the cameras down there?"

Judy pointed to the rest of their report. "We think the mammals who attacked Boris Howlett might have escaped down there."

"Escaped?" Clawhauser asked. "You should just check the footage from the entrance/exit cameras. Everyone who wants to go down there has to go through those tunnels."

"That's not what I hear anymore. According to Slick Nick here, there might be a few more ins and outs. You wouldn't happen to know how to get on Yaguara's good side, would you? Without her permission we can't move forward with the investigation."

"Chief's pretty much the only one she'll listen to, and not just because she totally has to, so your best bet is bugging Bogo." Clawhauser snickered at his tongue-twister.

"Should we go tell him now?" Judy asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll write up an email and send it his way right now. He had another assignment for you two anyway. Something about a string of thefts in the Palm Hotel and casino. I've got it here, actually."

Nick took it, skimming over the file. "Is there anything in the handbook about gambling on duty?"

"Why don't we ask Officer Roosevelt?" said Judy. "I'm sure _he'll_ know."

"Good one, Carrots."

"He's just down this way, right?"

"Ha ha, very funny."

"It'll only take a second." Judy started towards the conference room, as Nick followed after her, his pleas more and more panicked. It was only when she stood outside his door that she decided her teasing had gone on long enough, and by then Nick had sweat a ring around the collar of his uniform, his tail firmly tucked between his legs.

"Bunnies are mean," he grumbled, as Judy took the file from his paw.

She laughed, pinching his cheek. "Guess you're not much of a gambler after all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howlett's case will be moving a little slower for a while, so I'm bringing in the Palm Hotel/Casino in Sahara Square for another juicy plotline in the meantime. I've always felt there could be a lot of good stories coming out of there.
> 
> I named the IAD Inspector as such because Oliver's nickname Olly is reminiscent of Olympic, which is the other name for the Roosevelt elk, Olly's breed. I hope people are okay with the OC's I've introduced so far. None of them are main characters, and I try to minimize their appearances early on so they can grow on you, so with a little luck they're fitting in so far.
> 
> I won't ask often, but if you've enjoyed the story so far, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I'm open to all criticism and feedback, and I just like hearing from everyone.


	5. Place Your Bets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted to include the casino from the beginning. There's got to be tons of interesting stories and characters to be found here, and hopefully we'll see a bunch of them over the course of the fic.
> 
> Thanks everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I'm so excited to see that everyone's liking it so far. And as for you shippers; I'll start pulling on that thread very soon :]

"Why would anyone _want_ to live here?" Judy demanded, rolling up the window and cranking the A/C. "It's like a million degrees. Oh my god, can you imagine doing a stakeout in this heat? It'd be more like, a steak-out."

Nick peered over his sunglasses. "That sounds like the same thing."

"I mean the other kind of stake. The meat steak."

"You're making me hungry, Carrots. Hungry for days gone by."

Stuck in mid day traffic, the withering heat of Sahara Square beared down in fluid waves, rising up from the pavement and warping the outlines of street signs and honking cars. Those without cars were given some respite as the sunk had already sunk behind the rocky canyons that snaked their way through the western end of the district, not that its residents minded the heat in the first place. They strolled leisurely about, in loose clothing and hats and with ice-cold drinks, browsing the spices and fabrics of the bazaar.

Judy watched them from behind her window. "Have you ever been in there?"

"I've been _everywhere_."

"What's it like?"

Nick moved over to her seat, squatting behind her and waving his arm like a carnival barker. "Think of it like one big garage sale for handmade stuff. You're not going to find any fancy electronics or cheap plastic toys, oh no. These are the tents of craftsman, Fluff, of blacksmiths and woodworkers and seamstresses."

Judy elbowed him to make some room. "You're quite the salesman, Wilde."

"I've made a pretty penny in there every now and then," said Nick. "But if you're buying, you better know how to haggle. You'll get overcharged if you're not careful. Swindled, even."

"Know a thing or two about swindling?"

Nick smirked. "I got you to like me, right?"

The gridlock began to clear, and Judy inched the squad car just far enough forward to take the next right and two blocks more down a fire lane. From there, traffic was light enough to maneuver back onto the main road and towards the Palm Hotel. The titanic structure could be seen from nearly everywhere in Sahara square, offering a basic sense of direction as it split the skyline in half. Even its entrance stood grandly above the surrounding buildings, gilded and bursting with exotic, colorful flowers. To their right, the oasis shot pillars of water high into the air, dancing to the pounding rhythm of Gazelle's music. They rounded the hotel, towards a security gate, where a little mouse in the attending booth handed them guest ID's and waved them through to employee parking.

"So who are we meeting?" Judy asked as she parked.

Nick flipped through their file. "Sarah Humphrey, Chief of Security. Hah, she's blinking in her ID photo."

Not nearly baroque as the front door, the employee entrance was plain and sterile, with white walls and tiled floors. Every door was armed a deadbolt and electronic lock, and dozens of tiny red lights lined the hallways. Even here there were cameras nestled in every corner, whirring behind one-way tinted glass.

A camel was hurrying down the hallway, dressed in a black pantsuit and jangly bracelets, and she held a clipboard tightly in her hooves. She adjusted a pair of glasses before shaking their hands.

"You must be Officer Hopps and Wilde," she said, her voice chirping. "Thank you much for coming."

"It _is_ our job," Nick reminded her. "Miss Humphrey, is it?"

Sarah pulled a ring from her shirt, dangling on a chain. "Mrs. Humphrey, actually. Keeping a ring on your hoof is a lot harder than you think. If you two will follow me, I'll take you to our security office."

The back halls wound left and right, quickly becoming a maze of locked doors and reinforced glass. At the end of one of them, Sarah swiped her security card, and the light turned from red to green. The door was heavy, as Sarah had planted her feet and grunted as she pushed. The reedy whirring of dozens of computers filled the air, and high definition screens lay sprawled out across two walls. Judy spied the floor of the casino, the hotel lounge, the kitchens, and the amphitheater, all littered with guests and employees, lost in their work or play.

Judy whistled at the display, impressed. "We must be dealing with an experienced thief, if they're able to sneak past _all_ this."

"That's what we're worried about," said Sarah. "Jewelry, petty cash, they've even dug up some copper wiring on the roof! Anything that isn't nailed down might as well be up for grabs, and if this keeps up, so will my job."

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen," Judy said. "Have you noticed anything unusual about the cameras? Is the feed cutting out, or are they being painted over?"

"Nothing that obvious, unfortunately. We have a few that don't swivel, and someone suggested the thief is looping the footage, but when we posted security there, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary."

"What about special, repeat guests? Anyone quiet, keeps to their room? Maybe they don't get along with the other guests?"

Sarah shook her head. "We have dozens of high-profile guests, but they're all quite wealthy to begin with. I find it hard to believe they'd risk stealing."

Judy glanced at Nick. "Would it be alright if we looked around for a little, to get a feel for the layout?"

"If you think it will help. I'll let security know you're coming."

NIck held up a finger. "Actually, do you have any spare clothes?"

"Sir?"

"If your thief is here now, and sees two cops scouting the place, they might take off until things cool down. But a couple extra guests? We'll blend right in."

Judy jabbed Nick's arm. "Oh, great idea! We'll go undercover."

Sarah nervously tapped her clipboard. "It's unconventional, but maybe you have a point. We might have something in both your sizes. I'll show you the way."

She led them to a locker room, where employees put their personal belongings and change of clothes in their assigned locker, distinguished from another by engraved nameplates. On one end they were large enough for giraffes, elephants and rhinos, and on the other were several dozen for small rodents. Several of the lockers without nameplates, and Sarah reached onto her belt for the huge ring of keys. She unlocked the lockers closest to Judy's and Nick's size, and rummaged through them before tossing out some clothes.

"They won't be a perfect fit, but you won't stand out either," said Sarah. "You'll have to hide your guest ID's too, so don't let anyone too close."

"You hear that?" Judy asked, smirking at Nick. "Better dial back that charm."

Nick sighed, over-dramatically. "I'll try, but no promises. It's a blessing and a curse, Fluff."

After changing, they pushed through a pair of double doors out to the lobby of the hotel, and the stark, unpainted walls gave way to lush red carpeting and dazzling chandeliers, fine hardwoods and velvet. A bellhop hurried past them, struggling with half a dozen suitcases for an ornery, elderly armadillo. A giraffe towered behind the lobby's bar, reaching the top shelf liquors for guests willing to endure its cost, and hordes of smartly dressed lemmings marched underfoot, flanked by attendants whose sole responsibility was keeping their path clear of anything large enough to flatten them.

Sarah stepped aside until they had moved on. "We get a lot of corporate retreats. The cleaning staff have to be careful not to throw them in with the laundry, though."

"Has that...happened?" Judy asked.

"Anyway, I've put the word out you two are taking a look around. You'll still get stopped at any restricted areas if you get close, but they'll wave you through once you explain, unless they're not letting _anyone_ in. I go back to the office and keep watch from there. Good luck!"

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, following one of the elevators with his eyes. It rose higher and higher until it was barely a speck against the endless rows of rooms; even its elephantine passenger seemed tiny that far up.

"Bet there's a good view from the top," he said. "So, should we check the casino first, or the pool?"

"We'll stay here, watch how people come and go." Judy replied.

"At least there's a bar."

" _No_ drinking on the job."

"You're no fun."

They sat down at a pair of plush sofas, across from one another so Judy could watch one entrance while Nick held the other. He ordered juice for the two of them; mixed berry for himself, and carrot juice for Judy.

"Just because I'm a bunny doesn't mean I only like carrots."

Nick sat back and waited. "...But?"

Judy looked away. "... _But_ it just happens to be my favorite, so thank you. You got lucky this time. Do you see anything?"

"Lots of seniors. I think I've seen trees grow faster than some of these old-timers."

"Take this seriously, would you?"

"I am. That's why I'm not watching the guests. I've got my eye on the employees."

Judy set her drink down, her tail swishing in curiosity. "The employees? Why?"

"Think about it, Carrots: this thief of theirs has managed to avoid being caught on camera for how long? The guards haven't seen anything, the guests haven't, all because they're looking in the wrong place. I'll bet you our pilferer is on the payroll. I'm surprised they haven't considered it already, really."

"Nick, that's genius!"

"Oh, I know."

Judy's eyes began darting around the room, ears scanning for any suspicious noises. "Who do you think would have the best chance at getting away with it?"

"Could be the cleaning staff, rummaging through rooms when they're not supposed to. Or maybe they're from the kitchens, taking the stolen items out with the trash."

"Ew. We should tell Sarah about this!"

Nick held up his paw, shaking his head. "I'd hold off on that."

"Why?"

" _Because_ , it could also be someone on the security staff. It's easy to say nothing's showed up on camera when you're the one controlling said cameras."

Judy pursed her lips. "You don't think…"

"I do. I had a hunch the moment we walked in."

Judy wrung her paws together, frowning. "Sarah doesn't act like a criminal. She seems so sweet."

"And you thought I was a loving father the first time we met," said Nick, sighing. "When you live here as long as I have, you learn to give everyone a fair shake when it comes to how little you trust them. I've spent long enough on the other side of the law to know that you're better off mistrusting everyone at first instead of trusting them. If they prove you wrong, well hey it's a pleasant surprise, everyone wins! If they don't, at least you saw it coming."

Judy reached out across the table, holding Nick's paw. "Nick, you don't have to live like that anymore. Not everyone's out to cheat you, or lie to you."

"I know, Fluff, I know. And you have a pretty good read on everyone, so I'm trying to defer to you."

"Are you two enjoying your stay?"

A pronghorn had walked up, elegant and serene. She was immaculately-dressed, draped in a long, flowing dress that brushed against the carpet, and she wore an exotic flower behind her ear.

Judy, taken by surprise, nearly coughed up some of her juice. "Oh, uh hello! Actually, we're not-"

The pronghorn sat beside her, smiling. "I know why you're here, Officer Hopps, but you never know who's listening."

"I like her," Nick said, with a small wave.

"And you must be Officer Wilde. When Sarah told me of your clever idea, I thought I should come down and speak to you directly while I have the chance. I am Callie Sonora. This is my hotel."

Another employe scurried over, whispering something in her ear and showing her something on a tablet. Sonora tapped the screen a few times, nodded in satisfaction, and sent them on their way. "I apologize. My work seems to follow me everywhere I go."

Nick glanced at Judy. "I know the feeling."

"Now, I just wanted to offer any resources you might need in the course of your investigation, anything that may help you sort this out as quickly as possible. The longer it goes on, the less likely my guests are to return. I'm on the brink of being forced to hire extra security just to make everyone feel safe."

Judy could almost feel Nick resisting the urge for an I-told-you-so look. "Of course, ma'am. We won't leave a stone unturned."

"I'm very glad to hear th-"

"Stop! Thief!"

A wolf shoved his way through a group of buffalo, stumbling to the floor and dropping the bag he held under his arms. Poker chips, money, jewelry, and several phones spilled out across the floor, and he began to scoop them back up when he noticed Judy and and Nick staring.

"Nick-"

"I got it." Nick leapt over the table and dove towards the wolf's legs, trying to slap a pair of handcuffs on his legs. The wolf's tail blocked his vision, and he managed to squirm out of Nick's grip. Judy jumped from her own seat, but was slapped out of the air. Nick managed to catch her before she hit the ground, setting her down before they both raced after the thief, as nearly all the security in the lobby scrambled

"Stop in the name of the law!" Judy shouted, sliding under a passing food cart. The wolf pushed past a rhino, tripping him as he tried to step aside. He nearly collapsed onto Judy, but Nick pushed the food cart in front of her, and instead the Rhino rolled off the top of it, sending pastries and fruit platters flying. Nick reached down and pushed Judy back up, helping her get back to full speed.

"Get the car!" she said, before starting back after the thief.

"Tell me if you lose him!" Nick called. He raced along the side of the hotel, back towards the employee parking lot and their cruiser.

" _If!_ " Judy shot back.

The wolf slid across the hood of a truck, rolling down a hill on the lawn. A beaver swerved out of the way before he ran them over with his mower, tapping one of the palm trees, and the wolf dove into the gardens at the top of the hill, disappearing in the maze of shrubs and flowers.

Judy dropped to the ground, her ears poking through the leaves and listening. She caught a twig snapping to her left, and charged forward. She spied the wolf's foot and stomped on it, using it as a springboard to jump between his arms, headbutting the duffle bag and robbing him of his ill-gotten gains. They rolled back down the hill towards the pond, but a small rock kept the bag from falling in.

The wolf bared his claws, snarling. "Outta my way, rabbit."

He swung his arm, but instead of aiming for Judy, he tore down several branches overhead, and as she struggled to get free, he tried to put as much distance between them as possible. Judy wiggled her way out of the branches, snapping one off and carrying it with her. She jumped to the roof of the nearest car, onto another as it passed by, and onto a third, giraffe-sized car. From that height she could spy the wolf crouched low and making his way to the other side of the parking lot. She tested the stick's weight, aimed carefully, and slung it as hard as she could. As the wolf briefly stopped to investigate the noise as it whistled through the air, it struck him squarely on the temple, and he bounced off the side of another car, spinning in place. He stumbled backwards into an empty space, and fell to the pavement just as Nick arrived in the squad car, carefully maneuvering the car on top of him. Nick heard the thump as the wolf tried to sit up, hitting his head on the underside of the car, and offered a thumbs-up to Judy as she hurried over.

"Nice shot," he said hopping out with a pair of handcuffs. He crawled under the car and slapped them on the wolf's wrists, while Judy used her own on his legs, just as he was beginning to come to his senses.

"Hey! What gives?" he demanded, squirming under the car and hitting his head again. Judy and Nick carefully dragged him out by the tail and dumped him against the back wheel.

"I'll go get the bag," said Judy. She jogged back towards the gardens, looking for the hil the bag had rolled down. She spied it resting against the rock and slung it over her shoulder. Some of the money spilled out, and she kneeled down to pick it up, only to discover it was all obviously counterfeit.

"What the…" she dumped out the rest of the bag. All the money was counterfeit, the phones outdated and broken, the poker chips carved from wood.

Nick's voice buzzed through her radio. " _What do you think, partner? Should we take the spoils, make a run for the border?_ "

"Nick, it's all fake."

" _What_?"

"Everything in the bag. Counterfeit money, fake chips, _everything_."

She made her way back to the car. Sarah was there, standing at Nick's side and panting. Nick was holding his tranquilizer, lazily pointing it at the wolf just in case he tried anything.

"Officer Hopps!" she called, waving. "I came out here as soon as I heard. Thank you so much for stopping him."

Nick glanced at the wolf, who was snickering on the ground. "Don't thank us just yet."

Judy showed Sarah the contents of the bag, and Sarah rifled through it, as confused as they were. "What on earth? It's junk!"

The wolf laughed again. "I bet you feel pretty stupid right about now." He yelped as Nick 'accidentally' stepped on his tail.

"Why go through all the trouble of stealing something, if you're not actually _stealing_ anything?" Judy put her paws on her hips. "It doesn't make any sense."

"You got nothing on me, rabbit," said the wolf, spitting on the ground. "After all, I didn't take anything."

"Well, don't forget you _did_ assault two police officers," Nick said, taking pleasure as the wolf's smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

Far away, someone screamed. It was Judy who saw the smoke first, spindly black fingers that crawled up the hotel's gleaming trunk. Other mammals had begun to take notice, slowing their cars to see, or pointing with mouths agape. Towards the gate, the posted security began to run to the hotel, shouting into their radios.

The wolf withered as Judy and Nick turned to look at him. "I...I didn't do that, I _swear_."

Nick opened the car door. "Go. I'll take care of him, and catch up with you."

Sarah pulled out her phone as Judy raced away. "I'm calling the fire department now," she heard her say.

Guests were streaming out of the front entrance as alarms began to sound, panicked mammals herding together. Mothers clutched their children close, who turned their heads trying to make sense of the chaos. As Judy peered through the lobby doors, she didn't see the source of the fire, but saw several employees hurrying out of the security offices, and assumed that's where the fire had started. She hurried back outside, running around the side of the building, where even more staff were pouring out, coughing up smoke and wiping their eyes. As a zebra helped a wheezing armadillo out the door, a backdraft erupted, shooting a wave of debilitating heat out into the crowd. The two might have been scorched if Judy hadn't leapt towards them to push them out of the way, having heard the coming, roaring flame.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked. "Is anyone still inside?"

The armadillo was too out of breath to speak, but she managed to nod and point back inside. Without a moment's hesitation, Judy raced back inside, staying low to the ground to keep the smoke from her eyes and nose, which had begun to fully cloud the hallways. It had been hard enough to find her way when Sarah had guided them; now, she was completely reliant on her senses and what little she might remember. She kept her breathing shallow and calm to minimize the smoke coming into her lungs, and she strained to hear a voice through the growing roar of the fire.

A cry rang out to her right, and she rounded the corner only to find the ceiling beginning to collapse, exposed wiring hanging down like vines. They sparked and added to the flames, crackling like sparklers above her head. By now the roar was deafening, and Judy could only blindly move forward, guessing at where the voice had come from. She coughed and her eyes began to sting.

The door beside her shook; someone was on the other side, bashing their shoulder against it. Judy pressed her ear to the door. "Hello? Is someone in there?"

A terrified voice cried out "Yes, yes! Please, I can't get out!"

Judy's mind raced. She grabbed the doorknob, and jumped up the security panel next to it, bracing her feet against the wall. She leaned back to the door. "Okay, I'm going to pull at the same as you push, as hard as you can. Can you do that for me?"

"O-okay! I'll try!"

"On the count of three: one...two...three!"

Judy pulled with all her strength and felt the frame shake as it was pushed from the other side. But the door didn't budge, and the flames were drawing even closer.

"Oh god…" the voice wailed, shaky with fear.

"Stay with me!" Judy pressed. "We're going to try again. I _won't_ leave you here. Push as hard as you can. Use your foot and kick it if you have to. You're going to get out of here. Are you ready?"

"Hurry!"

Judy gritted her teeth. "On three. One...two...THREE!"

She shouted as every ounce of her strength poured into that door, and the door rocketed open as a camel's foot connected. It swung wildly and tore free of its top hinge, and Judy swept dangerously close to the flames, before the camel pulled the door back.

The camel knelt down in relief, and she pulled Judy closely to her, sobbing. "Oh, thank you, thank you. You saved my life."

"Carrots!"

Judy turned around. Nick had arrived, coughing and covering his eyes with his sleeve as he hurried over to them. "We need to get out of here now," he said. "If we can find it; this place is a maze."

The camel brushed the smoke free with her eyelashes. "I-I can help us get out! I know the way."

Judy nodded. "Okay. Tell us where to go, and we'll keep you safe."

They ran back through the hallways, crouched low and tears streaming down their faces. The camel shouted directions over the roaring inferno, and they took great effort to avoid stepping into the rapidly crumbling walls. An enormous crack rang out, bouncing in their heads.

"We gotta go _now_ ," Nick hissed. "This place is about to come down on top of us!"

"We're almost there!" The camel said, pointing to the next corner. "Just down that way!"

They turned, only to find debris blocking the way out. A heavy pipe spurting blistering steam prevented them from coming too close.

"What now?" said Judy, looking around for another route. Nick began taking his shirt off, ripping off his tie, and wrapping both around his paws.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked.

Nick edged closer to the pipe. "Carrots, push against my back. It might be too heavy by myself."

They wiped the sweat from their eyes, and slowly approached the pipe. Nick jerked back in surprise when the steam barely brushed against his foot, but kept forward. He took a deep breath, and pressed his hands against the pipe, planting his feet and pushing. Judy put her back to him, digging her own feet into the floor. The pipe groaned, and slowly began to move out of the way. Nick howled in pain, but with a final heave, the pipe broke off in the roof and crashed to the floor, bringing down the rest of the debris with it. They crawled through and made it outside, falling to their knees as they coughed out what smoke had forced its way into their lungs.

Sarah was standing there, her knees shaking and hoof tightly clutching her phone. "Oh thank god you're alive," she said. "I was so worried."

Minutes later, the fire department arrived, and they slowly pushed back against the flames, managing to save the hotel as a whole. The security offices were completely ruined, as was Sarah's state-of-the-art camera system, but she didn't care, relieved to know that everyone had made it out. Crowds began to gather around the scene, and news vans soon after. Judy gave a brief statement, but it soon became clear the reporters were more interested in painting her as a hero once again than they were finding everything that happened. Sarah, seeing that Judy was no longer interested in answering personal questions, pulled her aside and away from the cameras.

"I guess we'll need that extra security," she said, almost laughing. "I didn't think this day could get worse."

Judy, who had been caring for the other camel until an ambulance had arrived, nodded her head. "Things weren't... _ideal_ , but no one got hurt, and that's what's important."

"Yes, of course. I should look at the brightside. Miss Sonora is grateful for your help, and wanted me to tell you she'll be calling the station to commend yours and Officer Wilde's bravery."

Judy beamed with pride. "That's what we do, ma'am."

As Sarah went to check on her other staff, Nick waved his bandaged paws in Judy's face, grimacing. "You said 'no one got hurt'. What is your definition of 'hurt'? Or do my grevious injuries seem flippant to you?"

"You know what I meant, Nick" Judy said with a smile. "Are you feeling okay?"

Her partner shrugged, squinting when a burst of pain shot up his arm. "I'll be happy when I get my perscription. Maybe I can guilt Bogo into letting me take a few days off. I can kick back, and-"

His cheeks burned red as Judy took one of his paws and softly pressed her lips to the bandages, laughing as he pulled it away in surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Do they feel any better?" Judy asked. "My mom always told me it helped."

Nick's ears fell flat against his head, and he kicked at the pavement, looking away. "...Yeah, okay, maybe they feel a little better," he murmured.

"Good. Is our perp doing alright?"

"Should be. I left the air running."

Judy motioned for him to follow. "Let's go check on him. He says he didn't have anything to do with this, but I don't buy it just yet."

But when they got back to the squad car, all they found was a broken window and an empty seat. The cuffs lay on the floor of the car, undamaged.

Nick sighed. "At least he didn't take the car."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the first chapter entirely within one scene. Don't know how often that'll happen.
> 
> These two OC's probably won't be a major part of the story like Olly and Yaguara will, for example. Just in case you were worried there were too many. I named them as such because:
> 
> Sarah Humphrey - Sahara desert, and camels have humps, obviously
> 
> Callie Sonora - Sonora is the name of another desert, located within 'Callie', California
> 
> The chapters will be coming out either sooner or longer the farther I get into this story. Once I have a firm grasp of where it needs to go, it's much easier to work. Thanks for reading!


	6. Digging a Deeper Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I've had a birthday, a wedding shower, Mother's Day, and a housewarming party these last few days, keeping me very busy and away from a keyboard.

Bogo towered over Judy's desk, staring her down over his tiny glasses. His features were contorted into a mixture of doubt and weariness, and he pinched the bridge of his snout, sighing heavily.

"Wilde, tell me you had remembered to lock the doors."

NIck folded his arms, huffing. "He was cuffed head to toe, Chief. In a locked car. Really your guess is as good as mine as to how he managed to squirm his way out."

Judy, who was filling out their report, turned in her chair. "Sir, Nick made sure he was secured, and the glass was mostly _inside_ the car, so if I had to guess, he had help."

"That car was parked in a crowded lot in the middle of the day. No one came forward as a witness?"

Judy shook her head. "No sir. No one. They might have been distracted by the fire. And sir, if you don't mind my saying, we've been wondering if the two are-"

"Connected?" Bogo finished. His broad shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I've had enough conspiracies for one lifetime. We're still cleaning up the mess from the last one."

"We just don't want to rule anything out. Once the fire department uncovers the cause of the fire, we'll have more to go on. Until then, we'll treat them as separate incidents."

Bogo nodded. "Fine. By the way, Yaguara's emailed me the information for her district's 'll see I've forwarded it to you."

"Why didn't she just send them to us?" Judy asked. "And while we're at it, why does she insist on everyone going through her if they want footage from her district? That's not up to her, per ZPD regulations."

"Yaguara's district is very self-contained. Most investigations that involve it start and end there as well, so she's come to expect a certain amount of autonomy. The Commissioners' Council allow her some leeway in other precincts' involvement in her district, due to her distinguished service, but they are in no way legally binding. You could go over her head to get the footage if you wanted, but you'd probably make an enemy out of her."

"I think we're well past that," said Nick, smiling.

"Yaguara has a lot of influence, Wilde. Don't make it worse for yourself."

Judy turned back to her computer, going to her email. "We won't, Chief. With any luck we won't ever cross paths with her again."

Bogo left them, having some business to attend to in his own office. Nick opened the email from Bogo, snickering to himself as he read it over. Bogo had forwarded it directly from Yaguara, and it was painfully obvious she was not overly happy to be sharing the information. The subject line was blank, and the lack of formatting hinted that Yaguara had given the information sloppily and as quickly as possible, wanting to wash her hands of the matter.

"I guess she's the type to hold a grudge," Nick said, wheeling over to Judy's desk. "Find anything?"

Judy shook her head. "Not yet, but I don't know my way around like you do. Where were the tunnels?"

Nick put his paw over hers on the mouse, unaware of the involuntary 'eep' that slipped past her lips. "Let me see. This nightclub on the corner of Midnight and Corvus has a VIP area in the back. Behind that stone wall…"

He tried to move the camera further to the left, but it had reached its widest angle, where they could just barely make out the edge of the wall Nick had mentioned. A rhino covered in vivid tattoos stomped around the edge of a heated pool, two scantily-clad companions under his arms. Flashing lights cast colorful shadows out to the cavern wall, and the camera shook ever so slightly under the thumping bass of music.

"Why can't the camera move any further?" Judy asked.

"Technically that's private property. These are still traffic cameras, Fluff. They don't bend to our will."

Judy pointed to the bottom corner of the screen. "No, _look_. That slider shows how far to either side the camera can go. There's a little more to the left, but it's stuck. You think it's broken?"

"In my former line of work, I learned that a lot less is done on accident than you think. I'd wager something or someone did that on purpose."

"What. Why?"

Nick patted Judy's head. "So pure. If a tunnel is still there, obviously they don't want nosy little cops like you being able to see it. They probably wedged a rock in the mounting."

"So we can't see what's going on unless we move whatever's blocking the camera?"

"Seems like."

Judy groaned, pulling on her ears. "Just after I told Bogo we'd stay out of Yaguara's way, too. Now we have to go back down there and ask for her help?"

"Do we, though? I wonder?"

Nick had a devious look in his eye when Judy turned to look at him. "Nick...what are you thinking?"

"I mean, do we _have_ to tell Yaguara what we're doing down there? If anything, she should be thankful we're willing to make a trip just to help her out. Those tunnels cause a lot of headaches."

"Bogo said crossing her would tick her off. This sounds like crossing her to me."

"Only if we get caught, Carrots. In an out, you and me. We look around where the camera is, maybe find the tunnel, maybe knock off whatever's holding that camera in place. We don't even tell Bogo. I'm talking about a real hush-hush kind of thing."

Judy smirked, patting his cheek. "Miss skulking around, do you?"

"Maybe I'm a grass-is-always-greener kind of guy," Nick said with a shrug. "So are you in? C'mon, you bent plenty of rules when you had me on a leash all those months ago."

"You certainly weren't complaining. Maybe you're a leash-wearing kind of guy instead?"

"Oh, is _that_ what you think of me?" Nick asked, moving closer.

Judy's tail twitched. "So what if it is, Wilde?"

Fangmeyer suddenly leaned over the divider, a lopsided grin on his face. "Hey, I'm gonna hit the vending machines. You two want anything? Soda? Juice? Maybe a room?" He laughed all the way to the hall, as Judy and Nick shot back to their own desks, red-faced and indignant.

"W-we should probably get going," said Nick, scratching his nose.

"Right," Judy agreed, cheeks burning.

As they stepped into the hallway, they spied the Internal Affairs Inspector, Oliver, Roosevelt, speaking softly with Francine. Despite his slender build and quiet disposition, and the height difference of several feet, Oliver seemed to elicit respect and friendliness from Trunkaby, who was usually very casual and rowdy with the other officers. She pretended she might fall on Judy the first time the two of them were formally introduced, but here she seemed almost shy, and reserved. She lumbered off towards the lobby, and Oliver looked over at them, greeting them with a small wave of his hoof.

"H-hello," he said. "Is your day going well?"

Judy shrugged. "It's been... _interesting_ , so far. Mr. Roosevelt, right? It's nice to meet you, personally anyway." She stood on his tip toes, reaching up to shake his hoof. Nick offered his own paw as well.

Oliver smiled. "Please, call me Olly. I'm actually not much for formality; officers are wary enough of me as it is."

"Why's that?" Judy asked.

"Wouldn't you be, around someone who could get you fired?" said Nick.

Olly pointed at Nick. "Exactly. Y-you know, Officer Hopps, I've been meaning to speak with you and Officer Wilde."

Judy felt her heart begin to pound. "Oh?... what about?"

"I hope I didn't come appear as standoffish when I addressed everyone in the bullpen. I only meant that everyone would be treated fairly, something I'm sure you and Officer Wilde have struggled with. I have to admit, I watched your meteoric rise very closely; seeing you combat stereotypes like that was very admirable."

Nick rubbed Judy's head, grinning. "Yup, Carrots here made quite the splash, didn't she?"

"Oh, you as well, Officer Wilde. I'm sure many foxes have dealt with similar problems. You should both be proud of the work you've accomplished."

Nick was taken aback by the genuine compliment, and rubbed the back of his head, flustered. "Well….thanks."

"It's no trouble," said Olly, "and I expect our meeting to be a short one. You both have spotless records. But I actually have a meeting in just a few minutes, so I'm afraid I have to get going."

Judy waved goodbye. "Good luck...internal uh, affairing!"

"Smooth, Fluff," said Nick.

"Did I seem nervous to you? He was so nice, but… there's something about that guy. It's like he stared at my _soul_."

"Don't be so melodramatic. He looked as nervous as you. Gotta say, though, is _Olly_ really the best choice?

"Like you're one to talk, _Piberius_."

Nick froze, glaring daggers at Judy. "Keep your voice down will you?" he hissed.

"It's public record, sweetheart," said Judy, smirking. "If you're lucky one else has checked, but play nice or I might let it slip out."

"Your ruthlessness knows no bounds, Carrots."

* * *

 

They parked their squad car at a lot a block away from one of the public tunnels leading into the Nocturnal District, preferring to keep as low a profile as they could. The lift held a separate area for those going down on foot, and although a few mammals took a second glance at Nick and Judy when they spied their uniforms, no one seemed to be paying them much attention.

"I feel so exposed for some reason," said Judy. "Like we're doing something illegal."

"Would it help if I said we weren't?" Nick replied.

"I _know_ I'm just being silly."

"You're just doing your job. Yaguara would probably stop you from doing said job is she knew we were out here. Ergo, we don't tell Yaguara. You've got nothing to worry about. How many more times should I tell you that before you believe me?"

Judy thought about it. "Maybe a hundred? It'll be your job to keep count."

She leaned over the side of the railing, watching the flashes of light spin around the walls of the tunnel. Nick didn't know, but Judy was largely nervous because of their brief talk with Oliver, not because they were steeping themselves back in Yaguara's territory. The elk, despite all his quiet charm and gentle disposition, filled her with a sense of dread, like the heavy, soot-colored clouds of a coming storm. Nick was right when he had said she broke many rules during their first case together, and while her being out of the system back then might make it harder, she could not shake the feeling that Oliver would manage to piece it together himself anyway.

It often distracted her, the realization of how quickly she fell into questionable actions for what she perceived as the greater good. She had been so desperate to prove to everyone that she was capable as an officer, to Bogo and her parents and especially to Nick, who had been so relentlessly mocking in their budding partnership. She remembered hating that condescending, dismissive tone his voice was layered upon, sickly-sweet honey that dripped out as poison between smirking lips. Nick's own mantra of never letting others see the damage they've done seemed insurmountable then, as it did now; she'd never been good at hiding her feelings, and every time she felt the frustration boil over, her resolution to shatter Nick's preconceptions of her were steeled ten times over.

But had she gone too far to solve the case? To prove everyone wrong? It was easy to tell herself that bending a few rules meant little in the grand scheme of things, especially since no one was hurt as a result, but the moral dogma of the ZPD did not allow such loose interpretations of the law in order to protect its citizens, even if it might protect them better as a result. Had she betrayed the ZPD in order to serve it? It ground against her mind like a broken cog, hounding every choice she made and every face she met.

She felt Nick beside her. "Don't stare too hard, Carrots. You'll drill a hole through the rock," he teased.

She laughed softly, grateful for Nick's easy-going nature. Although sometimes his unwillingness to put out his feelings worried her, she admired his ability to brave the stress and pressures of their work, quick with a joke and snarky grin, and she hoped that in time she might acquire that skill as well.

"Counting the stalactites?" Nick asked. "You probably missed a few hundred."

"Actually I've been counting your bad jokes. Well, trying to. There's just too many to keep track of."

"They're just going over your head."

The lift reached the cave floor, hissing as the bulky machinery grinded to a halt. Those with cars drove out single file, while Nick, Judy, and everyone else who had rode down on foot moved to either side where sidewalks led them safely away from the traffic. This lift was in another part of the cave system, and instead of a gaping cavern, there were towering, narrow corridors carved out of limestone and granite. Gone were the spectacular displays of illuminating algae and bacteria streaking across the rocky surface, instead lit by small lights strung along the walls with metal spikes. Smaller mammals and rodents strode across dozens of natural bridges dug out from the rock, into passageways too cramped for most animals, presumably shortcuts to the other areas throughout the district.

Judy glanced around with curiosity. "Why is everyone so quiet?" she asked.

"It'd echo too much down here. There are strict noise policies constantly in effect," Nick explained quietly. "No bars, clubs, live music...it's more like a graveyard. But the square is just a little ways ahead."

They came upon a small stream dripping out from between the rocks, and Nick led Judy down it's trickling path until it became a creek, and then a river, and then a mighty deluge that poured over the side of a sheer cliff. Half a dozen escalators on either side of the falls carried mammals up and down with ease, although the occasional giraffe had to stoop their head to be able to fit. When Nick and Judy stepped onto one of the escalators going down, she took in with awe as the descended towards the main cavern, the colors scattered behind bars rock formations that kept them from falling.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights," said Nick.

Judy spied his tail tucked firmly between his legs, and she pointed to it, smirking. "I hope _you're_ not, either."

"Yeah, well, there aren't any vines to catch either of us, so I prefer to call it reasonable cautiousness."

"Don't worry, scaredy-fox, I'd catch you again."

Nick flashed a smile. "Like I'd fall for you again."

There was a commotion at the bottom of the descent, a crowd of mammals circling around the entrance to a restaurant and bar. Judy heard angry voices and growling, and was about to investigate before she thought better of it.

"Their district's precinct is probably on the way," she said.

Nick nodded. "And the less they see of us the better."

No one in the crowd had spotted them, so they were able to slip away before anyone demanded they intervene. From what Judy could make out over the shouting, it wasn't anything more serious than a drunken argument that had simply attracted the attention of the populace, but it did feel out walking away from what was technically their job. She told herself that they already _had_ a job, and focused on that.

"Anything look familiar?" she asked.

"Hard to say. Old tunnels are filled in almost as quickly as new ones are dug out, and a lot of new businesses and apartments have been cropping up the last few years."

"All the way down here? Seems a little too gloomy to live down here."

Nick shrugged. "I guess a lot of mammals are still more nocturnal than they thought. It's a nicer district than you give it credit for, though. Bogo might be right about Yaguara, as much as I hate to admit it. She's strict, but she keeps the streets clean."

As if on cue, a squad car for the Nocturnal District screeched to a halt beside the crowd, forcing those closest to jump out of the way. A black bear and a wolf jumped out, menacing in their black uniforms instead of Judy and Nick's royal blue, and they shoved their way through the crowd. The bear snarled at what was revealed to be a ram and a cougar arguing, and he grabbed the back of the cougar's collar, slamming him onto the ground and bearing down onto his spine with his arm. The wolf got two fistfuls of the the ram's wool, and she bashed the sheep against the glass, surprising the patrons still inside the bar.

Judy watched, frowning. "They're a little rough, aren't they? It was just an argument."

Nick rubbed his back, grimacing as the bear added his knee on top of the cougar. "It's always been a little 'subdue first, ask questions later' mentality down here. Like I said, you don't want to make waves down here."

He pushed Judy away as the wolf produced her taser, around the street corner and out of sight. They stood on a small hill, looking down towards the gaping cavern. Nick squinted, scanning the buildings and looking for the nightclub they saw on the cameras. This was a nicer area within the district, with lavishly-dressed citizens driven around by chauffeurs and private security. Judy spied faces she had seen on posters and television.

"I think I see it," said Nick, pointing down the hill and over the rooftops. "See that white, marble wall over there? That looks the same as we saw on the camera."

"Then let's get down there before Yaguara gets wind we're here."

They hurried down the streets, curious passerby taking note that their blue uniforms meant they weren't part of Yaguara's precinct. Judy did not like the sense of unease she felt at their surprise. Yaguara's hold on the district became more apparent by the day, and she began to wonder the true extent of her control.

They came to the club, quiet and darkened in the afternoon. Nick moved carefully around the front end of the building along the sidewalk, looking for the right angle as the one shown on the camera. When he came upon the high wall, and the cavern wall behind it, he traced his line of sight behind him, and up to a length of heavy wire that stretched over the street to another building. On that building's roof lay the camera, its lens gleaming in the shadows of the cave.

Nick squinted. "Yep, I can see a block drilled next to it. Right there? That's got to be what's keeping the camera from moving. What's the plan, partner? Should we move the block, or just look for the tunnel?"

"Let's fix the camera. We can't be here all the time, so if something happens when we're gone at least we'll be able to see it later."

Nick approached the side of the building closest to the camera, holding out his paws for Judy to put her foot into. She stepped from his paws to his shoulder, before balancing herself on the other shoulder.

"Careful," Nick said, clasping her feet to help her stay steady.

They heard the screeching of tires, and another ZPD squad car pulled up. Instead of the two officers from before, Judy was surprised to see Ed jump out, his expression strained and worried.

"Get down from there!" he hissed, looking around frantically. "Before anyone else sees you!"

Judy looked down at Nick, confused. "What's the matter? We're in the middle of investigating a case! Don't tell me Yaguara's angry enough to keep us from doing our job?"

Ed began jumping up by Nick's side, trying to knock Judy off her perch. "No, you're going to keep us from doing _our_ job."

"You can't be serious," said Judy, climbing down. "What? Afraid that we'll make you look bad?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder, and spied a bear watching them closely from across the street. He was muttering into his cellphone, and when he saw Ed looking, he hurried back down the street and around the corner. At the same time, Nick saw a weasel in the nearest alleyway texting into his own phone, beady eyes gleaming in the dark. He hurried over a fence before he could be questioned.

Ed sighed heavily. "Nevermind...it's too late. Oh, the Captain will have my fur for this."

Judy was getting annoyed. "For _what_? What's the big deal?"

"Officer Hopps, I mean no disrespect, but...well, you really shouldn't have done what you did. The Captain knew about the camera being locked in place, to hide the tunnels."

Nick folded his arms. "And she did nothing about it?"

"Yes, because that means everyone who uses it won't either."

"Meaning?"

"The Captain let the tunnels remain because she's doubled the patrols and security at all the areas _around_ the tunnels. The smugglers, traffickers, whoever, use them and are...well, _were_ none the wiser. We were recognizing patterns, setting up stings...you didn't ruin everything, but this will set her back a lot of work."

Judy felt unsteady, sliding down the wall until she sat on the pavement. "Oh god...Nick, what did we just do?"

"We didn't know, Fluff," said Nick, trying to calm her down. "We _couldn't_ have known."

"Why did we come down here? Why didn't we just swallow our pride and ask for her help? How much trouble did we just cause?"

"A lot," Ed chimed in. "Mostly for me. But, Officer Wilde is right; you couldn't have known what Yaguara was planning. Only I and one or two other officers were aware of the scope of things."

The hyena sat down across from her, his expression disarming and sympathetic. "Even if the Captain isn't fond of you two, which she isn't, she can't get you fired. Your jobs are safe."

Judy hugged her knees to her chest, sighing. "I don't care about my job. I care about all the innocent mammals I just put in danger."

"You're overreacting, Officer Hopps," Ed said. "Sure, this is a headache. We'll have to come clean about the tunnels and demolish them, but one knew we were letting them stay active, so as soon as new ones are dug, which is extremely likely, we can get right back to work. If anything, you're keeping a lot of contraband and drugs off the district's streets for a while, or at least slowed the flow. It'll probably pop up more on the surface, though."

Nick joined the two of them on the ground, immediately next to Judy. "He's right, Judy. Take a deep breath. Everyone makes mistakes. No one got hurt. Maybe we'll get chewed out, but-"

"Ed? Ed?" The hyena's radio burst to life from his car, Yaguara's intimidating tones grinding over the waves. "Did you manage to stop them in time?"

Ed shot Judy an apologetic look. "...no, ma'am. Looks like they were spotted by one or two perps. I bet the news is making the rounds right now."

They heard a loud crash over the radio, and a string of similarly violent curses. "Damn that rabbit!" growled Yaguara, "she needs to learn to keep her nose out of others' business. Are they still there?"

Nick was frantically waving his arms and shaking his head.

"No," Ed said, finally. "I scared them off, I guess. Sorry, I didn't know you wanted to yell at them."

Yaguara swore again. "There are so many things I want to do them, Ed. Yelling is the least of them. Get back here now. We have work to do, cleaning up their mess. I'm filing a complaint with Bogo as well. If I'm a lucky woman they'll be fired for their gross incompetence."

Ed could see Judy beginning to seethe, and wisely lifted his finger off the radio's button before Yaguara discovered she had been lied to. He set the radio back in it's mount, frowning.

"You know, that actually went better than I expected," he said. "She must have been in a good mood."

Nick rolled his eyes, making quotations in the air with his fingers. "Yeah, 'good mood'. That's one way to put it."

"What now?" Judy asked. "Does she want us in her office again?"

Ed scratched his chin. "Probably, but not right now. She'll be spending the next few days regrouping and replanning. If you like I can keep you two in the loop so you'll know what to expect if she does call you down."

"I'd appreciate that," said Nick.

"But," Ed continued, "I'd guess she won't want you down here for a while. She has a lot of pull, so Bogo will probably agree to that if it means she won't raise any more of a fuss."

"That doesn't sound too bad, I guess," Judy said glumly. "This has been just about the worst day on the force I've had yet."

Ed chuckled. "Then count yourself lucky. You're going home with your tail between your legs, not your body in a bag."

"Thanks for that image," Nick, said, biting. "But really, thanks for helping us. With a Captain like yours I have to admit I expected it to rub off on you."

Edd hopped back into his squad car, shrugging his shoulders. "She's not too bad. Yaguara and I have been working together for a long time. Strict, yes. Blunt, definitely. Draconian? On a bad day. But she's good at her job, and a good officer is better than a nice officer."

He drove away, and Nick stood up to help Judy to her feet. "You alright, Carrots? Still a little shook up?"

"More than a little, but I'll be okay." Judy smiled up at Nick. "Thanks for the little pep talk. I'd probably have pulled out all my fur by now if it weren't for you."

Nick chuckled. "Than I consider it a public service. A hairless Judy is not a sight this town needs to see. Now come on, Bogo's probably waiting for us, and you know he hates it when we're late to a chewing out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Man, Judy and Nick just can't stay out of Yaguara's crosshairs, can they? This is bound to cause a ruckus. Only time will tell how big of one, though.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, very sorry for the delay!


End file.
